Tuesday 30th August 2016 (7:45pm), Checkatrade Trophy, One Call Stadium.
Rovers make their first of at least two trips to Nottinghamshire on Tuesday to face League Two rivals Mansfield Town in the reformed Football League Trophy; named the Checkatrade Trophy.
Both sides have begun the season well with ten points from five games and will have designs on an end of season play-off place as a bare minimum.
However, the pair are also entering a relative unknown in a competition they have previously won in its various guises.
Rovers took home the 2007 edition after a 3-2 win in extra time over Bristol Rovers at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium thanks to Graeme Lee’s winner. That occurred 20 years after Town had overcome the other Bristolians – City – at Wembley on penalties courtesy of Terry Kenworthy’s penalty in the shootout.
It’s not since the 06/07 that the clubs have met – in the second round of the FA Cup – which went to a replay after a 1-1 draw at Field Mill. Rovers won the replay 2-0 in the last ever Cup tie at Belle Vue with goals from front two Mark McCammon and Paul Heffernan seeing Sean O’Driscoll’s side through to round three and a home tie against Bolton Wanderers.
TEAM NEWS: Darren Ferguson looks likely to make full use of his squad and could rotate with the likes of Harry Middleton, Liam Mandeville, Joe Pugh and Alfie Beestin in contention.
LAST TIME:
Tues 12th December 2006:
DRFC – 2 (McCammon, 23; Heffernan, 50)
MTFC – 0
FA Cup R2r
Belle Vue
Attendance – 5338
DRFC – B Smith, T Streete, A Lockwood, G Lee, G Roberts, J Price (P Heffernan, 30), B Stock, P Green, J Coppinger, M McCammon (S Thornton, 82), J Forte (L Guy, 68)
MTFC - C Muggleton, J Buxton (J Mullins, 45), A Baptiste, J Hjelde, G Jelleyman, N Arnold, G Coke, J D'Laryea, M Hamshaw, R Barker (C Beardsley, 80), S Brown (M Boulding, 68)
HEAD TO HEAD: Results (in Mansfield): MTFC -13, Rovers – 6, Draws – 9
ROVERS PLAYER: Listen to live coverage from 19:30 with Tom Biltcliffe and Dean Medcalf.
ROVERS WALL: Follow all the action as it happens from 18:30