Crewe Alexandra return to action as they face Hartlepool United at The Suit Direct Stadium tonight (Tuesday, 7.45pm).
The Railwaymen will look to return to winning ways in League Two and try and capitalise on The Pools’ poor start to the season.
The Opposition
Hartlepool sit one place above the bottom of the table, winless in their opening six league fixtures this term.
They picked up a point in their last encounter against Colchester United, drawing 1-1, with Wes McDonald scoring his second goal of the season.
The Pools signed experienced forward Chris Maguire on Monday after he recently left Lincoln City. He will be available for selection, subject to EFL approval.
The Gaffer
Paul Hartley took the reins at Victoria Park in June 2022. He kept United in the EFL last term, finishing 17th.
Hartley’s previous role was at Scottish outfit Cove Rangers, where he guided the Aberdeenshire side to the Scottish Championship with two promotions in three seasons.
Fighting Talk
Alex Morris: "When you go away to any club in this league you’ll have to fight hard for the points.
“We are going there with the expectation of winning the game – we have to because if we have aspirations of doing anything this season, we have to go and aspire to win every game we play.”
Paul Hartley: "I do think we should have more points but that’s what it is, we have to start winning games.
Team news
Crewe have been dealt a blow in their hopes to get striker Christopher Long back in action, as he has suffered a reoccurrence of the ankle injury. Kelvin Mellor (ankle) looks set to return, while Rio Adebisi (foot) could be involved.
Hartlepool will wait to see if Josh Umerah, Mike Ndjoli and former Crewe loan man Jamie Sterry will be fit, after they missed their last match against Colchester.
Head to Head
The Alex holds a 47% win ratio against the Pools, winning 64 of the 137 fixtures between both sides over the years, including their last meeting – a 1-0 success in the first round of the Carabao Cup in August 2021.
Officials
Martin Coy has been appointed referee. He last took charge of a Crewe match in November 2021, a 3-0 victory against Wolves U21s in the Football League Trophy.
He will be assisted by Darren Williams and Conor Brown, with Wayne Grunnill appointed as fourth official.
Elsewhere in League Two
AFC Wimbledon v Northampton Town; Barrow v Doncaster Rovers; Crawley Town v Stockport County; Grimsby Town v Gillingham; Harrogate Town v Salford City; Mansfield Town v Carlisle United; Rochdale v Leyton Orient; Stevenage v Newport County; Swindon Town v Sutton United; Tranmere Rovers v Bradford City; Walsall v Colchester United.
Ticket Details
| Pre-Match | Matchday | |
| Adults | £20.00 | £21.00 |
| Senior Citizens 65+ | £14.00 | £15.00 |
| Armed Forces | £14.00 | £15.00 |
| Students | £14.00 | £15.00 |
| 18-21s | £14.00 | £15.00 |
| Under-18s | £10.00 | £11.00 |
| Under-14s | £5.00 | £6.00 |
| Under-5s | FREE | FREE |
Can't Make The Game?
Crewe fans in the UK and around the world can watch the clash with Hartlepool live on iFollow.
An iFollow match pass for Crewe fixtures includes graphics and replays – all for just £10 (or local equivalent).
The action is complemented by commentary from the BBC Radio Stoke team of Graham McGarry and Peter Morse.
Click here to secure your iFollow match pass today and make sure you don’t miss a minute of the contest.
Alternatively, you can listen to LIVE commentary on iFollow - CLICK HERE to purchase an Audio Match Pass for just £2.50!