Derby County make the trip to face "tough to beat" Bristol Rovers

Derby County face a tough test this weekend as they make the trip to Bristol Rovers as they look to get back into the top two.

The Rams dropped down to third after Bolton picked up a point against promotion rivals Barnsley on Tuesday night.

Paul Warne's side have been good away from home this season, but Saturday won't be an easy game.

Bristol Rovers are in good form, sitting 11th in League One. They have won three games out of their last four and haven't lost at home since early February.

In the reverse fixture at Pride Park, the Rams were 2-1 winners in a closely fought game which saw former Derby goalscorer Chris Martin score for the opposition.

Martin is now on 15 goals for the season and will be a big threat once again.

Tough to beat

Matt Taylor's Bristol Rovers have been notoriously tough to beat this season, especially for some of the bigger sides. Derby only just scraped through their first meeting, with Rovers also beating the likes of Portsmouth, Stevenage, Bolton and Oxford United.

The Gas are not a team to lie down against the top teams and so Derby could really have their work cut out, especially at the Memorial Stadium where Rovers have not conceded more than one goal in 14 of their 17 games.

Players to watch out for don't just include the prolific Chris Martin either. Rovers also boast the likes of midfielder Anthony Evans who has six goals and six assists, plus attacking midfielder Luke Thomas who is a major threat going forward.

No mistakes

This very much feels like a game where Derby will need to be as solid and discplined as possible. In their trip to the Memorial Stadium last season, the Rams gave away a late penalty which cost them the win as the game finished 1-1.

It could be argued that the loss of two points in that game was one of the pivotal moments that cost the Rams a playoff place.

Paul Warne will not want history to repeat itself and will be looking for a gutsy performance from his side who will be desperate to regain their spot in the top two.

Predictions

There's no doubting that Saturday could be one of the trickier away trips that Derby face all season long. A repeat of last season feels very likely with a 1-1 draw or maybe a narrow 1-0 win if the Rams can keep the likes of Chris Martin quiet.

It could be quite a frustrating afternoon for Derby who will have to remain patient, which, if they do, could see them picking up a massive three points.

Bristol Rovers vs Derby County kicks off at 3pm on Saturday 9 March.