Preview|Stevenage (H)

3 September 2022

Crewe Alexandra return to league action as Stevenage visit Mornflake Stadium on Saturday (3pm).

The Railwaymen will aim to extend their three-match unbeaten run in League Two, but face a tough task against an in-form Boro outfit.

The Opposition

Stevenage sit fifth after six rounds of fixtures, winning on four occasions, drawing and losing once against Walsall and Salford City respectively.

Steve Evans’s side were 2-1 winners in their last outing against Peterborough United in the Carbao Cup, with Jake Taylor and Carl Piergianni on the scoresheet.

The Gaffer

Steve Evans took the reins at Broadhall Way in March, when the club were close to the relegation zone. The experienced manager guided his side clear with three games to spare and they comfortably retained their EFL status.

Fighting Talk

Alex Morris: "They’ve only lost one game in six in the league, and had good results in the cups, so they’ve built a winning mentality early in the season. It’ll be a really tough game but it’s one we are looking to win.”

Steve Evans: "If it ends up as a total football match with lots of passing, they’ll win. But we have a style and identity too and we have to put that onto Crewe"

Team news

Crewe continue to be without Lachlan Brook (ankle), Christopher Long (ankle), Charlie Colkett (hamstring) and Rio Adebisi (foot).

Stevenage anticipate travelling north with a full squad, which includes Deadline Day loan signing Alex Gibley who joined from Charlton Athletic.

Head to Head

The Alex are unbeaten in their six meetings against Stevenage, winning five - including a 3-1 victory in their most recent match-up courtesy of goals from Chris Porter, Charlie Kirk and Ryan Wintle in March 2020.

Officials

Tom Nield will be the referee, having last been in the middle for a Crewe match on Boxing Day 2020 - a 1-1 draw against Fleetwood Town.

He will be assisted by Chris Isherwood and Blake Antrobus, with Ross Joyce appointed as fourth official.

Elsewhere in League Two

Bradford City v Walsall; Carlisle United v Rochdale; Colchester United v Hartlepool United; Doncaster Rovers v Mansfield Town; Gillingham v Swindon Town; Leyton Orient v Tranmere Rovers; Newport County v Grimsby Town; Northampton Town v Barrow; Salford City v Crawley Town; Stockport County v AFC Wimbledon; Sutton United v Harrogate Town.

Ticket Details

2022/23 League Match Ticket Prices *(Member rate in brackets)*
	Boughey Stand	Rhino Safety Stand	Andrew Connolly Financial Planning Stand
Adult	£25 (£21)	£23 (£20)	£23 (£20)
Senior (60+)	£19 (£16)	£17.50 (£15)	£17.50 (£15)
17-19 Years	(£14.50)	(£13.50)	(£13.50)
Student	(£12.50)	(£12.50)	(£12.50)
12-16 Years	£12 (£10)	£10 (£9.50)	£10 (£9.50)
Under 11	£7.50 (£6)	£6.50 (£5.50)	£6.50 (£5.50)
Disabled	£19 (£16)	£17.50 (£15)	£17.50 (£15)
Family Ticket	N/A	N/A	£23.00*

*Family Ticket is for 1 adult & 1 under 11 in the Family Stand.

Supporters are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid any queuing that might occur before kick-off.

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Words: Tomos Wyn Jones

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match Report|Crewe 1 Crawley 0

17 September 2022

Baker-Richardson notches his sixth goal of the season
A fourth league clean sheet for The Railwaymen
Alex Morris’s men move up to ninth in the standings

Courtney Baker-Richardson got the only goal of the game as Crewe Alexandra got back to winning ways against Crawley Town.

The in-form striker plundered his sixth of the season in the second-half to earn The Railwaymen a first three-point haul in five attempts.

The victory, which came complete with a fourth clean sheet of the season, has lifted Alex Morris’s men to ninth in League Two.

Now they will look to build on it when Mansfield Town come to South Cheshire next weekend.

The manager made one personnel change to his starting side, with Bassala Sambou coming in for Zac Williams.

A reshuffle saw Tariq Uwakwe drop to left-back, and Callum Ainley move back to midfield, to allow Sambou to be part of a three-pronged attack.

Crewe were denied by the woodwork on 13 minutes when Ainley’s cross was met by Kelvin Mellor, only to see his header come back off the foot of the post.

Arthur Okonkwo was able to stop a Tom Fellows lob at the other end, while on 21 minutes Baker-Richardson was denied by keeper Corey Addai from close range.

On 39 minutes a swirling Eli King cross caused problems for Crawley but Sambou couldn’t force it home at the far post.

And just before the break Dan Agyei saw a curler deflected wide, as the first half ended goalless.

Harry Ransom should have done better when he arrived on the end of a cross from the Crawley left early in the second half, but he could only stab wide from close range.

Okonkwo showed great agility to stop a Dom Telford snapshot, while Ainley’s powerful strike at the other end was well held.

Crawley became increasingly less ambitious, and sat back as the game wore on. It was frustrating for the hosts, who were struggling to find a way through.

But on 73 minutes, King powered through a couple of challenges and poked the ball through for Baker-Richardson to race in and guide into the net first-time.

There was a scare right at the death when Jake Hessenthaler saw a shot saved at close range by Okonkwo, and Uwakwe hooked clear from under his own bar.

Crewe (4-3-3): Okonkwo; Mellor, Offord, McDonald, Uwakwe; Thomas, King, Ainley (Brook, 61 mins); Sambou, Baker-Richardson (Williams 93), Agyei (Leshabela 74).

Subs not used: Richards, C Finney, Adebisi, Sass-Davies.

Booked: Baker-Richardson, Thomas

Crawley (3-4-3): Addai; Craig (Powell 84), Ransom, Francillette; Fellows, Hessenthaler, Balagizi, Tsaroulla; Tilley (Nadesan 74), Nichols, Telford (Chukwuemeka 74).

Subs not used: Robson, Johnson, Khaleel, Ogungbo.

Booked: None.

Referee: Rachel Welch.

Attendance: 3,717 (133).