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LEAGUE TWO PREVIEW

Posted on: Fri 03 Sep 2010

The big game in League Two this weekend, apart from our visit to Bury of course, is the Shrewsbury Town v Rotherham United clash at the Greenhous Meadow.
Both sides go into the game unbeaten with 10 points apiece and two of the current in-form strikers go head-to-head, Shrew's Jake Robinson has four goals while Adam Le Fondre of the Millers leads the way with five.
Shrewsbury boss Graham Turner saw Sean McAllister (illness) and Matt Harrold (calf) substituted in their Johnstone Paints Trophy win at Oldham in midweek and they join Lionel Ainsworth (groin), Daniel O'Donnell (hernia) and Nathan Elder (knee) on the list of doubts for the weekend.
Meanwhile Rotherham manager Ronnie Moore has had to do without Tom Pope, Ryan Taylor and Dale Tonge (all metatarsal injuries) and Nick Fenton (calf) while keeper Andy Warrington missed Tuesday's game through injury.

Still top of the table with a 100% record, four wins out of four, are Torquay United. Paul Buckle saw his team's record run of clean sheets ended at Vale Park last Saturday however, Anthony Griffith's strike being the first goal that they had conceded in 998 minutes of league football. Tomorrow the Gulls make the long journey to face Paul Sturrock's Southend United. Elliot Benyon and Chris Zebroski will both be looking to add to their tally of three goals apiece for Paul Buckle's team as they face an in-form Shrimpers. They registered their first league win at Bradford last Friday and then beat the Gills, albeit on penalties, in the midweek JPT fixture. Sean Clohessy will be available for the Essex side following suspension along with Scott Spencer who has returned to training following a back problem. The only injury doubt is defender Matt Phillips (hamstring).

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Paul Buckle
Paul Buckle, his Torquay side still have a 100% record.

Chesterfield, who are currently fourth in the table, entertain Chris Sutton's Lincoln City at the b2net Stadium. The unbeaten Spireites have won both home games this season including a 4-0 hammering of Hereford which saw Danny Whitaker net a hat-trick. Rob Page (Achilles) and Gregor Robertson (broken leg) are getting close to a return while both Ian Breckin and Jack Lester, who were rested in midweek because of niggles, should be available. Paul Green limped out of the Imps JPT game at Rotherham on Tuesday with a slight hamstring injury while Ian Pearce, Jamie Clapham and Delroy Facey were all rested. The latter two were on the bench and it was ex-Gill Facey who replaced Green. Albert Jarrett will definitely be missing as he has been called up by Sierra Leone for their African Nations Cup Qualifier against Egypt in Cairo while both Mustapha Carayol and Gavin McCallum have yet to resume training.

Albert Jarrett earns a booking
Albert Jarrett, seen here at Priestfield recently, has been
called up for international duty.

A game that has two manager's with a Gillingham connection takes place at the Coral Windows Stadium as Micky Adam's takes his Port Vale side to face Peter Taylor's
Bradford City. The Bantams, struggling in 20th place following three straight defeats, still have Simon Ramsden (calf) and ex-Gill Michael Flynn a few weeks away from fitness. Vale must do without Doug Loft who sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung in their first home game of the season against Chesterfield.

The team that have scored the most goals in League Two up to now are Mark Yates Cheltenham Town who travel to play bottom side Barnet at Underhill tomorrow. The Robins are definitely without central defender Martin Riley (hamstring) but new signing Marlon Pack, a promising, young midfielder who has joined on a season-long loan deal from Portsmouth, goes straight into the squad. Town are also hopeful of extending striker Shaun Jeffers loan deal. The Coventry City forward was in the England Under-19 squad that faced Slovakia at Crewe on Thursday night. Bee's striker Steve Kabba has returned to full training this week and is in contention for a place in the starting line-up, fellow forward Charlie Taylor, a new signing from Sutton United, could also make the squad.

Another tough game to call is Wycombe Wanderers fixture away at Accrington Stanley, both teams are currently unbeaten. John Coleman's Stanley outfit have not yet conceded a goal in a league game this term, they have beaten Macclesfield 3-0 at home and seen their other three games with Aldershot (home) and Oxford and Northampton (both away) end goalless. Accrington's new signing Terry Gornell, a striker from Tranmere Rovers, could be in line for his debut while Sean Hessey, Charlie Barnett and Craig Lindfield, who all missed the JPT penalties win over Tranmere, should be available for selection. Gary Waddock, who sold England Youth international winger Matt Phillips to Blackpool earlier this week, has seen his side find it difficult to score goals so far despite having been prolific in pre-season. Striker Stuart Beavon did however return to the squad as a substitute last weekend following injury but central defender Alan Bennett (hamstring) remains out.

The only other unbeaten side in League Two at present are Aldershot Town who play hosts to Northampton Town at the EBB Stadium on Saturday. Shots boss had the luxury of naming the same starting XI in four successive games before making changes for their JPT victory over Oxford United. Cobblers boss Ian Sampson has been rocked by injuries to Tadhg Purcell, Ryan Gilligan and Marcus Hall. Striker Purcell is out for the season with knee ligament damage, midfielder Gilligan requires an ankle operation and will be missing for three months while experienced defender Marcus Hall (hamstring) will be missing for a month. The only good bit of news to emanate from Sixfields is that defender John Johnson should be available for selection following a groin injury.

Graham Westley's Stevenage play hosts to Crewe Alexandra at the Lamex Stadium. The home side are waiting on news of Darius Charles and Charlie Griffin who were both replaced before half-time in last week's draw at Aldershot. Alex boss Dario Gradi is still without Carl Martin (shin) and Matt Tootle (hamstring) but goalkeeper Steve Phillips, who had a double shoulder operation in the summer, is almost ready to return to training.

Burton Albion entertain Hereford United at the Pirelli Stadium without the experienced Adam Bolder (dislocated shoulder) and Paul Boertien (calf). Defender Ryan Austin, who has been out since rupturing knee ligaments in the FA Cup game here at Priestfield last November, made his long awaited return to action in a midweek reserve game but received an elbow to the face after just five minutes and needed hospital treatment for a gashed chin! Bulls boss Simon Davey is likely to be without Sam Malsom (knee) and reserve keeper Dan O'Connor (groin) but may be able to include new signings Amadou Rabihou and Dominik Werling provided all the paperwork goes through in time and Mathieu Manset who is now fit following a hamstring injury.

The final two games feature sides currently at the wrong end of League Two starting with the meeting of Oxford United against Morecambe. United boss Chris Wilder will include new signings Tom Craddock, a striker from Luton Town, and midfielder Josh Payne (Doncaster Rovers) in his squad for the game but defender Damian Batt (ankle) is definately out. Morecambe keeper Barry Roche, man of the match in the Gillingham game last weekend, had to be replaced by deputy Lawrie Walker in the JPT defeat at Macclesfield. Adam Rundle who'd missed out against the Gills through injury was fit enough to be on the bench in midweek.

The last fixture is the local derby between Macclesfield Town and Stockport County where the Simpson's take a central role. County boss Paul takes his team on the 30 minute journey to play Town manager Gary's outfit at Moss Rose with both sides waiting for that first elusive win. The Silkmen are definitely without Richard Butcher (medial ligaments) and probably Ricky Sappleton (knee) while County are still waiting for summer signing Jordan Rose to make his debut because of injury.

Paul Simpson
Stockport County boss Paul Simpson faces a
local derby tomorrow.

Current League Two top scorers -

Adam Le Fondre   Rotherham Utd  5
Wes Thomas        Cheltenham T     5

Jake Robinson     Shrewsbury T      4
Elliot Benyon         Torquay Utd         3
Charlie Griffin        Stevenage           3
Sean McConville  Accrington S        3
Shaun Miller          Crewe Alex          3
Danny Whitaker    Chesterfield        3
Chris Zebroski      Torquay Utd        3


The full list of Npower League Two fixtures this weekend are -

Accrington S v Wycombe W
Aldershot T v Northampton T
Barnet v Cheltenham T
Bradford C v Port Vale
Burton A v Hereford U
Bury v Gillingham
Chesterfield v Lincoln C
Macclesfield T v Stockport C
Oxford U v Morecambe
Shrewsbury T v Rotherham U
Southend U v Torquay U
Stevenage v Crewe A
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