This Saturday, Crawley Town will take on struggling Cambridge United at Broadfield Stadium in a vital League One match for both teams.
The Red Devils want to avoid another loss, while the U’s aim to keep up their good form under their new manager.
Match preview
© Imago
Crawley, managed by Rob Elliot, sit 22nd in League One and are five points shy of safety. They’ve only lost once in their last four games, so there’s still hope for them.
However, Burton Albion have been picking up steam this year and climbed the table recently. That leaves Crawley three points behind with 14 matches left.
Elliot’s team knows they need points fast, and facing the bottom team feels like a good chance to close the gap. But their recent results suggest it might not be that easy.
Their last game saw them lose 3-1 away to Blackpool-a disappointing result especially since Blackpool played over an hour with ten men.
At home this year, Crawley have only one loss but also just one win since November. They’ll see a draw against relegation-threatened Cambridge as dropping two points rather than gaining one.
© Imago
On the other side, Neil Harris has returned as Cambridge’s boss and won his first game back. This new energy might help turn things around if they carry that momentum into Saturday.
Their recent surprise was beating promotion hopefuls Stockport County 2-0 thanks to Josh Stokes scoring twice early on. Plus, it was their first clean sheet since late November.
That win put them eight points behind Peterborough United who hold 20th place-just inside safety-but another victory here could cut that gap down to five points.
Still, Cambridge haven’t won a league game away from home since October, so winning on Saturday looks tough but not impossible.
In August’s earlier meeting between these sides when Garry Monk was in charge of Cambridge, they lost 1-0. Now with Harris leading them again, fans hope they can pull off back-to-back wins for the first time in months.
Crawley Town League One form:
Cambridge United League One form:
Team News
© Imago
Crawley boss Elliot might shake things up after missing chances with a man advantage against Blackpool by starting Junior Quitirna alongside Rushian Hepburn-Murphy upfront.
Kami Doyle scored last time and should keep his spot in midfield with Liam Fraser and Max Anderson who set him up for that goal against Blackpool.
For Cambridge, captain Michael Morrison along with Kelland Watts will likely continue shielding goalkeeper Nathan Bishop. Fullbacks Liam Bennett and James Gibbons should also start again.
Ahead of them, Josh Stokes will try to build on his two goals from last match aiming for more important scores. The young attacker is expected to play just behind striker Ryan Loft on Saturday.
Crawley Town possible starting lineup: Wollacott; Radcliffe, Conroy, Barker; Forster, Doyle, Fraser, Anderson, Swan; Quitirna, Hepburn-Murphy
Cambridge United possible starting lineup: Bishop; Bennett, Morrison, Watts, Gibbons; Cousins, Digby; Kachunga, Stokes, Brophy; Loft
We say: Crawley Town 1-1 Cambridge United
Crawley have been hard to beat lately but feel pressure closing ground on Burton and Peterborough so they’ll want all three points badly here.
Still though,, Cambridge just got a win under Harris’ leadership and his fresh ideas could help them earn a point this weekend too.
If you want detailed stats about likely scores or outcomes for this match please click here.
