Saturday afternoon sees the first of 2 long trips on the road in 4 days as we travel to Stevenage. The Alex are set to have a full squad to choose from, apart from long-term injury victims Paul Green and Eddie Nolan, as Corey Whelan returns after playing twice for the Republic of Ireland over the international break.
So far this season they have 6 victories, 3 draws and 4 losses in the league as the Boro sit in 7th place. They have beaten Crawley Town, Morecambe, Macclesfield Town, Grimsby Town, Carlisle United and Colchester United, the draws came against Tranmere Rovers, Forest Green Rovers and Notts County whilst they have lost to Yeovil Town, Cambridge United, Exeter City and Newport County.
In cup competitions, they lost 3-1 to Norwich City in the EFL Cup whilst they have beaten Swansea City’s Under-21 team 5-0 but lost to Charlton Athletic 8-0 in the second fixture. AFC Wimbledon are the other club in their group.
Looking back in the archives, the two teams have met 10 times with Stevenage leading the head-to-head with 5 wins to 2 with 3 draws. Crewe’s biggest win came in a 2-1 victory at the Broadhall Way in August 2016 while Stevenage’s biggest win came at Gresty Road in October 2013 where they won 3-0. Last season Crewe won the fixture at the Alexandra Stadium whilst last season’s corresponding fixture ended 2-2.
Who are the officials for the game?
The officials for this game see Craig Hicks as the man in the middle where he is assisted by Danny Gratton and Darren Wilding with Garry Maskell being the fourth official. During the last 5 seasons the following Crewe games have been refereed by Hicks:
- Crewe Alexandra 1-4 Lincoln City (11th November 2017) – Raynes
- Cambridge United 3-1 Crewe Alexandra (30th December 2017) – Dagnall
I asked Stevenage supporter Aidan Cheevers for his thoughts going into the game.
What do you think of Stevenage’s transfer activity over the summer?
I’d say our transfer activity has been largely solid. The majority of our signings have improved the squad massively.
What do you think the team will be for Saturday’s game?
The team for Saturday I think will be Dieng, Wildin, Cuthbert, Nugent, Seddon, Sonupe, Timlin, Byrom, Kennedy, Revell, Newton
Who would you say is the one player that we should look for in the Boro team?
The one to watch in my opinion is Emmanuel Sonupe. His pace frightens defenders and he’s made our attack more dynamic.
What would think would be a successful season for Stevenage?
A successful season for Stevenage would ideally be playoffs, although I won’t complain with a top 10 finish considering it’s Dino Maamria’s first full season in the EFL.
Who do you think will be promoted and relegated at the end of the season?
Promoted (in no particular order): Lincoln, Exeter, MK Dons (all automatic promotion), Colchester or Bury (playoffs)
