Aiming to guarantee a fourth-placed finish in the National League table ahead of the playoffs, Rochdale will travel to ARMCO Arena to take on Solihull Moors on Tuesday.
The visitors sealed their top-seven finish with a victory at the weekend, while their hosts dropped back down to 14th spot following a defeat.
Match preview
Solihull Moors head into their penultimate game of the National League season on Tuesday in search of a return to winning ways, with the chance to climb back into the top half heading into the final day.
In their ninth consecutive season in England’s fifth tier, the Moors find themselves 15th having earned 57 points from their 44 outings, winning 16 and losing 19 of those.
A dismal run between mid-January and late March, which produced just one win and seven points in 15 games, saw them drop to 16th spot heading into the final run-in, but they ended the rut with three straight victories earlier in April, seeing off Southend United and Tamworth away from home and Boston United at ARMCO Arena.
Them aiming to make it four on the bounce, Matthew Taylor‘s side visited second-placed York City on Saturday, but they came away empty-handed as Cameron John scored in the third minute and Dipo Akinyemi added a second in the dying minutes of a 2-0 home win.
Now trailing 11th-placed Eastleigh, 12th-placed Hartlepool United and 13th-placed Sutton United by two points with two games remaining, one in hand on each side, Solihull Moors will bid to move into the top half ahead of the final day with a return to winning ways on Tuesday.
Their visitors, meanwhile, head to the West Midlands aiming to lock in a home playoff quarter-final with a game to spare, having sealed their top-seven place at the weekend.
Aiming to make a return to League Two at the second time of asking, Rochdale have begun preparation for three rounds of playoffs, having missed out on a top-three finish with their tally of 71 points from 44 games, managing 20 victories in that time.
The Dale fell out of the race for third spot between mid-March and mid-April, when a seven-match span produced just one victory and six points, but they have bounced back to form since, firstly recording consecutive triumphs over Eastleigh and Altrincham.
Then on the back of an underwhelming goalless stalemate with strugglers Fylde, Jimmy McNulty‘s side most recently hosted Hartlepool United on Saturday and guaranteed a top-seven finish in style by dishing out a 5-1 beating at the Crown Oil Arena, as Devante Rodney netted a brace alongside goals from Ian Henderson, Leon Ayinde and Jay Bird.
Now sitting fourth with a one-point lead over fifth-placed Oldham Athletic, Rochdale play their game in hand on Tuesday with the chance to cement that place ahead of the final day and set up a home playoff quarter-final against the seventh-placed team.
Team News
Solihull Moors could remain without top scorers Conor Wilkinson and Jack Stevens, with the latter having been absent since mid-March and the former, who has netted 13 league goals this term, having missed Saturday’s defeat to York City.
In their expected absences, Tahvon Campbell should continue to lead the line, while Jamey Osborne is another key man going forward having notched up 10 assists in England’s fifth tier so far this season.
Jordan Tunnicliffe should again get the nod alongside mainstay Alex Whitmore at the heart of a back four, leaving James Clarke to continue on the right-hand side.
Jimmy McNulty could field an unchanged Rochdale starting XI from the weekend’s 5-1 win as they look to cement fourth place before the final day.
Kairo Mitchell will hope to return and lead the line from the outset, having been reduced to a substitute appearance last time out with his wait for a 15th league goal of the season stretched to 11 games, but veteran Ian Henderson could again get the nod instead.
Devante Rodney continues to play a key role in the attack, having now netted a team-high tally of 17 goals for the term after his brace against Hartlepool, while Leon Ayinde also got on the scoresheet and should keep his place on the other flank, with Aidan Barlow and Harvey Gilmour bound to continue their midfield partnership behind.
Solihull Moors possible starting lineup:
Walker; Clarke, Tunnicliffe, Whitmore, Newton; Bostock, Wells-Morrison; Thorpe, Osborne, Dodoo; Campbell
Rochdale possible starting lineup:
Barrett; Gordon, Ebanks-Landell, Beckwith; Adebayo-Rowling, Gilmour, Barlow, Allarakhia; Ayinde, Henderson, Rodney
We say: Solihull Moors 1-2 Rochdale
Quickly gaining momentum as they head towards the playoffs, we back Rochdale to pick up all three points again on Tuesday against a Solihull Moors side who saw their winning run come to an end last time out.
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