League Two football is back this weekend and Crewe Alexandra will be aiming to rebound immediately from their FA Cup defeat when they host Newport County.
The visitors are just five points above the relegation zone right now, and shall be attempting to push themselves away from the danger zone on Saturday.
Match preview
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Crewe have had a mixed season so far in League Two with six victories, seven draws, and five defeats to this point which leaves them 15th in the table right now.
Despite that, the Railwaymen have only been defeated twice at home, showcasing far more resilience in front of their supporters.
Crewe do head into this match on the back of a tough defeat last weekend though after a 3-0 loss against Barnsley in the FA Cup.
Even though their journey in the cup came to a screeching halt in the second round, Crewe had been undefeated in four matches prior to that, including consecutive outings in League Two.
Their previous two matches in the division resulted in 1-0 wins, showcasing the strength that the team can have at the back when performing at their best.
Crewe's strong defensive record recently in the league could end up continuing this weekend considering the fact the visitors have only scored 17 goals throughout the campaign.
Newport County have failed to score more than one goal in a game since October 18th, and they have lost their previous two matches in all competitions.
The Exiles were also knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend, but they did provide a much sterner test in their match against Derby County.
Priestley Farquharson had given his team the lead in the first half, but Newport were unable to hold in the second as they lost 2-1.
Graham Coughlan's men will be able to take some confidence from that performance though, especially since their previous League Two fixture resulted in a 2-0 win.
Team News
Crewe have been having to deal without Courtney Baker-Richardson since the start of November, which has been a big blow considering he has seven goals to his name.
In his absence, it has been Dan Agyei and Bassala Sambou who have been leading the team, and while neither managed to get on the scoresheet last weekend they will likely retain their place.
The visitors opted to go for a back five in the FA Cup, and while they did not keep a clean sheet it is a formation decision that could be continued.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the field it will likely be Will Evans and Omar Bogle that attempt to fire them towards three points.
Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:
Okonkwo; Mellor, Offord, Sass-Davies, Uwakwe; Brook, Thomas, King; Tabiner; Agyei, Sambou
Newport County possible starting lineup:
Day; Drysdale, Farquharson, Demetriou, Lewis, Norman; Moriah-Welsh, Bennett, Dolan; Bogle, Evans
We say: Crewe Alexandra 2-1 Newport County
There is not much to separate the team in the league table, and that is likely going to create a close encounter between them on Saturday.
However, while Newport County have put in some stronger performances as of late, the impressive home record of Crewe Alexandra should be enough to grant them the win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
