Another Thrashing In The Offing?

During their four year stint in League 1 the best result Bristol Rovers managed came in an emphatic 6-1 win over Hereford, taking no pity on a side destined for relegation back to the Football League's basement division at the first attempt, and they will be hoping for a just as convincing scoreline when they face the Bulls on Saturday.

Rovers are yet to settle into the rhythm expected from them during pre-season, they lost just one of their first team friendlies, but that is not to say that have started poorly. The Gas sit ninth in the table with seven points, their last league game ending in stalemate away at Macclesfield last weekend, though they will be buoyed by a battling display against Championship Watford on Tuesday night, holding Shaun Dyche's men to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes before finishing them off in the resultant penalty shootout.

With striker Matt Harrold starting the season the fine form, the ex-Shrewsbury marksman having netted three goals Rovers five games, and a squad packed full of attacking talent in terms of pace, flair and experience the blank drawn at Macclesfield is likely to be an irregular occurrence wherever Rovers take to the pitch, most notably at home in front of a vociferous home crowd.

In complete contrast to the promotion hopefuls Hereford have much lesser ambitions in League 2 this term, the highest finishing position seen since the relegation from the third tier three seasons ago being sixteenth, the Bulls ending up just three points away from the drop into non-league in May. The cumulative drop in League positions since the 2008/09 season looks to be continuing as Jamie Pitman's side currently find themselves in the bottom two just four games in, only collecting their first point with a 1-1 draw away at Wimbledon on Saturday. That result continued a run of nine away games without a win for Hereford, March the last time they took all three points on the road.

It will be a return to Bristol for a pair of former Rovers players. Ryan Green spent three years with the club and claimed an assist in the 2007 play-off final win at Wembley while Harry Pell, also a loanee at Edgar Street last year, played ten times for the West Country side before turning down a new contract in search of first team football.

The home side will be without Stuart Campbell, the player-coach suffering with a hamstring injury, while Gary Sawyer is still recovering from a hernia operation. Cian Bolger tweaked his ankle ligaments in Tuesday's Carling Cup tie and will miss out against Hereford. Chris Zebroski was also withdrawn from the field against Watford as a precaution but has been back in training and will be in contention as is Harrold, another Pirate subbed off last time out. Joe Anyinsah could make a return to the starting line up having fought back from a hamstring tweak.

There are potential debuts in the offing for Bulls loan duo Will Evans and Thomas Barkhuizen. Wiltshire born Evans comes to the West Midlands from Swindon Town having made one appearance in senior football, as has Barkhuizen, moving down to Hereford from Blackpool until January. Another loanee, Simon Clist, was cup-tied for the midweek game at Aston Villa on Tuesday but could return to to the side at the Memorial Stadium while Rob Purdie faces a fitness test on his thigh.

Stopper Adam Bartlett, saver of two penalties in a Hereford shootout win the last time the two sides met, is definitely out with a thigh injury with central defensive pair Stefan Stam and Beniot Dalibard both out with hamstring problems.