Crawley Town take on Doncaster Rovers at Broadfield Stadium on Tuesday night, with the hosts looking to steer themselves clear of the relegation zone.
The Reds are in 22nd place, still involved in the relegation battle, while the visitors are up in 12th and have an outside chance of finishing inside the playoff places.
Match preview
© Reuters
Crawley are currently just one point clear of the bottom two, having picked up 32 points in their 35 matches up to this point, meaning they are by no means safe from the drop, and a victory on Tuesday night would do them the world of good.
Up until recently, the outlook was very different for the Red Devils, but wins in their last two games have seen them rise out of the relegation zone, leapfrogging Hartlepool United.
Scott Lindsey's side have also played two fewer games than Hartlepool, meaning they have given themselves some breathing room, although this uptick in form must continue between now and the end of the season.
Prior to their recent resurgence, Crawley had lost seven and drawn one of their previous eight games, so it is fair to say the board stood by their manager during a tough period, and they will now be hoping to be rewarded for their loyalty.
Last time out, the Red Devils secured a 1-0 win away at AFC Wimbledon courtesy of an early goal from Ashley Nadesan, but they will have their work cut out on Tuesday, given that they have never beaten their upcoming opponents in a competitive game.
Doncaster currently find themselves nine points adrift of the playoff places, but they do have one game in hand on seventh-placed Salford City, meaning they could still mount a late promotion push.
However, Donny's form would have to improve dramatically, as they have won just one of their last six games in League Two, losing four, most recently falling short in a potential six-pointer away at Salford.
Danny Schofield's side were defeated 3-1 at the Peninsula Stadium after individual errors cost them dearly in the first half, and a much-improved performance will be needed on Tuesday night.
Doncaster have notched a total of five wins in 2023, but only one of these has been away from home, a 2-0 victory at Swindon Town back in February, losing comprehensively against the likes of Mansfield Town and Sutton United.
As such, Donny face a tough test at Broadfield Stadium, despite the disparity between the two teams in the league table, but Schofield needs his team to start performing if they are to stand any chance of winning promotion back to League One at the first time of asking.
Team News
Now that the Crawley boss has finally found a winning formula, he is unlikely to want to make many changes to the team that secured victory at the weekend, although he could be forced into a few switches.
Ludwig Francillette was brought off against Wimbledon due to an injury concern, and Joel Lynch is his likely replacement at centre-back, partnering Dion Conroy.
Jordon Mutch was also withdrawn early on Saturday, so 20-year-old Rafiq Khaleel could be handed a rare start in the engine room.
As for Doncaster, loanee midfielder Charlie Lakin has unfortunately been ruled out for the remainder of the season, with Harrison Biggins and Ben Close instead the likely options in the centre of the park.
After mainly featuring as a substitute since arriving from Scunthorpe United in January, Caolan Lavery could return to the starting lineup, partnering George Miller, who has scored in his last two games.
Crawley Town possible starting lineup:
Addai; Johnson, Conroy, Lynch, Ogungbo; Tilley, Powell, Khaleel, Oteh; Telford, Nadesan
Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:
Moore; Brown, Nelson, Olowu, Rowe; Seaman, Close, Biggins, Hurst; Miller, Lavery
We say: Crawley Town 1-0 Doncaster Rovers
Crawley appear to have turned a corner in recent weeks, running out comprehensive 3-1 winners against Harrogate Town in their last home match, before beating Wimbledon on their travels.
With Doncaster struggling to put any sort of run together, particularly on the road, we expect the hosts to run out narrow winners on Tuesday night, in a closely-contested game.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
