Rovers take on Peterborough United on Sunday in James Coppinger’s final ever game for the club.
The Rovers legend will hang up his boots as the season comes to an end, after 17 brilliant years of service.
Peterborough’s recent form
The Posh secured promotion to the Sky Bet Championship with a dramatic 3-3 draw against Lincoln City at London Road last weekend. Rovers had denied them the opportunity to go up four days earlier after fighting back from 2-0 goals down to earn a point.
The man in charge
One of Coppinger’s former managers, Darren Ferguson, is the man in the opposition dugout. He has secured his fourth promotion as Peterborough boss, coming across three spells. He achieved success during his time with Rovers too, guiding them to promotion back to Sky Bet League One at the first attempt in the 2016/17 campaign.
Ones to watch
Siriki Dembele
After making a name for himself in the EFL at Grimsby Town, Dembele joined Peterborough in the summer of 2018 for an undisclosed fee. A lively winger, the 24-year-old scored seven goals in his first season at London Road, and backed that up with six last time around.
He has stepped up to the mark this season and played a key role in the club pushing for automatic promotion, scoring 13 goals in 46 appearances to make himself an integral part of the attacking setup.
Sammie Szmodics
A product of the Colchester United Academy, Szmodics played more than 160 times for his hometown club before signing for Sky Bet Championship side Bristol City on a free transfer in the summer of 2019. He made just four appearances for the Robins though before joining Peterborough on loan in January 2020, but for the season to be cut short due to Covid-19. He made an impact in that time though, scoring four goals in 10 league games, which persuaded Posh to make the move permanent in September.
He has proved to be a brilliant signing for Darren Ferguson’s side, scoring 16 goals in 46 appearances so far this season.
Jonson Clarke-Harris
After spending time with Coventry City and Peterborough as a youngster, Clarke-Harris signed for Oldham Athletic in 2013 and impressed enough in his sole season at Boundary Park to earn a move to Rotherham United. The striker spent time on loan with MK Dons, Rovers and Coventry during his time at the New York Stadium, before returning to Coventry on a permanent deal in 2018. Once again though his stay with the Sky Blues was short lived, as he signed for Bristol Rovers six months later.
He seemed to find a home at the Memorial Ground, and scored 24 league goals in 38 appearances, which persuaded Peterborough to spend a significant seven-figure sum on him last summer to replace the outgoing Ivan Toney. Clarke-Harris has proved to be worth every penny, with 33 goals to his name in all competitions, he has played a crucial role in helping Posh close in on automatic promotion.
Last time out
Rovers battled back to earn a draw when the two sides last met at in Sky Bet League One last month. Goals from Joe Ward and Sammie Szmodics had put the Posh in control early on, before Fejiri Okenabirhie and Taylor Richards secured a point for Rovers.
More ahead of this match
