Match Zone

Match Preview – Crawley Town (A)

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Tomorrow evening sees our second away game in the league with a trip to Crawley Town. So far this season they have beaten Salford City, drawn with Scunthorpe United and lost to Carlisle United in the league as well as beating Walsall in the EFL Cup with a home game against Norwich City the reward a week tomorrow.

Over the summer, the Red Devils have signed 10 players over the summer, 7 on permanent deals and 3 on season-long loans, while they have let 4 leave the club. Those arrivals are goalkeeper Michael Luyambula (loan), defenders Jordan Tunnicliffe, George Forrest and Josh Dacres-Cogley (loan), midfielders Nathan Ferguson, Beryly Lubala and Jack Powell as well as forwards Ashley Nadesan and Mason Bloomfield (loan).

Looking back in the archives, the two teams have met 14 times with Crewe leading the head-to-head with 7 wins to 3 with 4 draws. The biggest wins for both teams came last season with Crawley winning the corresponding fixture 3-0 with Crewe winning the return fixture 6-0.

Who are the officials for the game?

The officials for this game see Tom Nield as the man in the middle with Marc Wilson and Louis Marks his assistants and Dan Bonneywell as the fourth official. The following Crewe game has been refereed by Nield in the last 5 years:

  • Chesterfield 0-2 Crewe Alexandra (26th December 2017) – Porter, Kirk
  • Crawley Town 1-2 Crewe Alexandra (28th April 2018) – Ng, Pickering
  • Crewe Alexandra 2-0 Cambridge United (27th November 2018) – Ainley, Miller

I asked Crawley supporter Craig Bratt for his thoughts going into the game.

How would you describe your transfer activity this summer?

Our transfer activity has been brilliant, bringing in some exciting youngsters such as Nathan Ferguson and Bez Lubala, and we have had a really positive window. Our fans have been really pleased so far with out dealings, which has been a rarity in recent seasons.

Which position is the one that you should improve the most from the squad you currently have?

Before the season started, I was concerned about our defence, and we have leaked five goals already this season after just four games in total. I think we’re lacking maybe one more full back to really apply some competition for places, but it isn’t a major worry as of yet.

What do you think the team will be for the game?

In our last home match, against Salford, we dominated from start to finish, so I imagine we’ll line up exactly the same as that, unless the manager was pleased with how our 2-2 draw at Scunthorpe went. There won’t be any drastic change. Perhaps just one or two.

How would you set-up to nullify your team?

We’ve looked very dangerous from set pieces this season, scoring twice from corners in our last two matches, both from headers. In both occasions, the goal scorer has been virtually unmarked, showing we’ve found a way to get away from defenders from set pieces. Watch out for us in these positions.

Who is the dangerman for this game?

The danger man by far is Bez Lubala. With three goals in three league games, he’s started the season with a flourish. He’s also missed a penalty so it could have been four. He’s quick, skilful, and a real handful for the opposition – a wonderful find from Birmingham City, where Gabriele Cioffi was previously a coach.

What do you think is a realistic aim for Crawley this season?

Realistically, a mid-table finish was the aim, but if we can keep things up as we are currently playing, there’s no reason why we can’t push for the play-offs. It’s certainly been an exciting and positive start for us, and we’re all hoping that things will be much better than last season’s dreadful 19th placed finish.

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