Pompey travel to the Memorial Ground tomorrow looking for their first win in seven games to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
Team News
Dan Potts will play his final match for Portsmouth before returning to West Ham as an extension to his loan couldn't be agreed. Tom Craddock is still injured but otherwise, Richie Barker has a fully fit squad to select from.
Rovers defender Tom Lockyer is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card in the abandoned FA Cup tie with Crawley during midweek.
The Match
This match may symbolise a case of "what should have been" with both clubs amongst the pre-season favourites for promotion. Instead, the losers of this game are going to face a difficult winter with relegation looking like a very real and frightening prospect.
Rovers currently sit 22nd in League Two, just a point above the relegation zone but a win for them would take them above Pompey in the table, who themselves are only four points off the bottom of the league.
John Ward's side is much like our own. On paper he has a good bunch of players to work with but defensive frailties and profligacy have caused his team to lose more games than they probably should have.
John-Joe O'Toole will be one to watch out for if he plays. He caused Pompey quite a few problems when playing for Colchester last season. On-loan Preston striker Chris Beardsley is also a handful on his day.
Being such a youthful team, their inexperience could count against them tomorrow so hopefully the more experienced players in Agyemang and Connolly should give their shaky defenders some problems up front.
Unfortunately, there's no faith in the Pompey back four either and Barker may make changes after Newport scored one of the easiest goals you'll ever see last Saturday. Hopefully Devera and Moutaouakil will pay for their mistakes on Saturday as they'd be liable to repeat their errors tomorrow and it's about time that those who are selected show us a response to such a dismal run of performances.
As for predicting how this game is going to go; it's likely to be a tense match littered with mistakes from both teams due to the lack of confidence. However, a draw doesn't do either team any favours when it comes to pulling away from the relegation zone so the second half could be quite entertaining, providing that Pompey aren't out of it by then of course!
Let's hope that the Memorial Ground hosts a memorable game for all of the right reasons for Pompey fans. Another defeat may just be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Bristol Rovers
GK: Steve MILDENHALL
RB: Michael SMITH
CB: Tom PARKES
CB: Garry KENNETH
LB: Luke BROWN
CM: John-Joe O'TOOLE
CM: Ollie CLARKE
CM: Oliver NORBURN
RWF: David CLARKSON
LWF: Ellis HARRISON
CF: Chris BEARDSLEY
Pompey
GK: Trevor CARSON
RB: Shaun COOPER
CB: Joe DEVERA
CB: Sonny BRADLEY
LB: Dan POTTS
RM: Jed WALLACE
CM: Simon FERRY
CM: Therry RACON
LM: Ricky HOLMES
CF: Patrick AGYEMANG
CF: David CONNOLLY
Last Time: Bristol Rovers 1 Portsmouth 2 (Division One - 10/04/1993)
Pompey kept up their Premier League promotion push at Twerton Park thanks as goals from Guy Whittingham and Bjorn Kristensen were enough to beat the bottom team in the league.
My Prediction
Rovers may be bad but until this Pompey defence is strengthened there is simply no way a win can be predicted with any kind of confidence. Conditions may play a part (if the game even goes ahead) but this is likely to be a scrappy, uninspiring draw.
Bristol Rovers 1 Portsmouth 1