Preview: Forest Green Rovers vs. Crewe Alexandra - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 7 September 2023, 08:59

Forest Green Rovers and Crewe Alexandra are separated by two points ahead of their League Two showdown at the New Lawn on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts claimed an impressive EFL Trophy victory over Shrewsbury Town in midweek, while the visitors suffered a disappointing defeat to Port Vale.

Match preview

Despite facing a barrage of 24 shots - 10 of which were on target - Forest Green managed to secure a 3-0 win against Shrewsbury on Tuesday, courtesy of goals from Dylan Kadji, Tyrese Omotoye and Mathew Stevens.

That triumph followed a 1-0 league victory over Sutton United, meaning that Rovers head into Saturday's clash on the back of successive clean-sheet wins, with their last defeat coming against Newport County on August 19.

David Horseman's side made a poor start to their League Two campaign, suffering three defeats across the first four matches while conceding seven goals, but they have since taken four points from a possible six.

Still, 18th-placed Forest Green remain two points behind 11th-placed Crewe Alexandra in the League Two table, as the Railwaymen have lost just one of their six league outings this term, picking up two wins and three draws in the process.

Lee Bell's men started their League Two campaign with successive 2-2 draws against Manfield Town and Swindon Town before defeating Newport County 4-2, with another 2-2 draw against Walsall coming a few days later.

After suffering their first league defeat of the season - losing 1-0 to Bradford City at Valley Parade a fortnight ago - Crewe bounced back with a 3-1 victory over MK Dons.

Although only three teams have scored more League Two goals than Crewe's 13 this season, the Alex have also conceded 10 goals, meaning that only five teams have a poorer defensive record than Bell's side.

It is also worth noting that Crewe have lost three of their last four matches across all competitions, with the league defeat at Bradford preceding back-to-back losses against Port Vale in the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.

Forest Green Rovers League Two form:

Forest Green Rovers form (all competitions):

Crewe Alexandra League Two form:

Crewe Alexandra form (all competitions):

Advert - content below:

Team News

Forest Green will be without Hull City loanee Callum Jones on Saturday as he continues to recover from a knee injury, forcing him to wait for his Rovers debut.

Following a couple of substitute appearances, Troy Deeney made his first start for Forest Green in last weekend's victory over Sutton United, with the veteran striker expected to partner Matt Taylor in attack on Saturday.

On the flip side, Crewe Alexandra have reported no injury problems ahead of Saturday's clash, although Lee Bell will likely ring the changes after a series of below-par results.

Chris Long, Rio Adebisi and Elliott Nevitt have all scored two league goals this season, while Mickey Demetriou has, unexpectedly, contributed three goals and one assist from centre-back.

Midfielder Jack Powell has also impressed following his move from Crawley Town, bagging one goal and two assists in the league, so he will continue alongside Conor Thomas in the engine room.

Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:

Daniels; Bernard, Inniss, Welch, Robson; McAllister, Bunker, McCann, Holland; Taylor, Deeney

Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:

Davies; Offord, O'Riordan, Demetriou; Cooney, Tabiner, Thomas, Powell, Adebisi; Baker-Richardson, Long

We say: Forest Green Rovers 1-1 Crewe Alexandra

Previews by email

Read full version: https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/forest-green-rovers/preview/preview-forest-green-vs-crewe-prediction-team-news-lineups_523432.html

Callum Jones
Chris Long
Conor Thomas
Crewe
Crewe Alexandra
David
David Horseman
Dylan Kadji
Elliott Nevitt
Forest Green
Forest Green Rovers
Goals
Jack Powell
League Two
Lee Bell
lineups
Mathew Stevens
Matt Taylor
Mickey Demetriou
Newport County
Port Vale
possible lineups
predicted scorelines
prediction
Rio Adebisi
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury Town
Sutton United
team news
The New Lawn
Troy Deeney
Tyrese Omotoye

Top News

22 November 2024 talksport.com Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed defender Ben White will be sidelined for months after undergoing knee surgery. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League have announced that their partnership with IMG will end after 20 years for a new media operation. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided a fresh update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City midfielder James McAtee has reportedly been the subject of an "audacious" bid from Leeds United. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams enjoying some superb form will meet at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, as Lazio and Bologna both aim to extend winning streaks in Serie A. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Erling Haaland sent out a warning shot to the Premier League as Manchester City aim to end their four match losing streak. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Enzo Maresca's King Power Stadium reunion takes place on Saturday lunchtime, as Leicester City and Chelsea prepare for battle in the Premier League's first game back after the international break. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final standings in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League groups have now been confirmed, and attention will now begin to switch to the knockout stage and playoff formats of the competition. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have suffered a defeat in their long-running legal battle with the Premier League, who have seen proposed changes to Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules approved by a majority of teams. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides battling against relegation from Ligue 1 are set to come together on Sunday afternoon when Nantes host Le Havre at Stade de la Beaujoire. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Leganes head coach Borja Jimenez will have to make two changes to his starting XI for Sunday's La Liga clash with Real Madrid. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Raul Asencio is in line to make his full debut for Real Madrid in Sunday's La Liga clash with Leganes. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Michail Antonio's professional career has had plenty of unexpected twists and turns. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea star Cole Palmer will be bidding to add to an incredible Premier League record when he lines up against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League is back and that can only mean one thing. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City are confident of agreeing a lucrative new contract with Erling Haaland after Pep Guardiola agreed to stay, talkSPORT understands. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to build on their impressive win over Osasuna before the international break when they resume their domestic campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a mixed injury update ahead of the Reds' imminent showdowns with Southampton in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The January transfer window is an opportunity for teams to fix their summer spending on the cheap, or in these cases, for free. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Kai Havertz may have transformed himself at Arsenal - but he's not on the level of his Premier League rivals. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Reece James has suggested that he is remaining upbeat over his latest hamstring injury. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Mohamed Salah is one of the world's best players and he has become one of the top five Liverpool goalscorers ever. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Phil Foden is a superstar for Manchester City, but he still opts to wear an unconventional number at his boyhood club. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The latest instalment of the Basque derby will take place at San Mames on Sunday night, with Athletic Bilbao welcoming rivals Real Sociedad for what should be a highly-charged affair. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa will be looking to extend a Premier League feat when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Having entered the international break with a run of three straight defeats, both Torino and Monza will try to stop the rot on Sunday, when they lock horns in Turin. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Third kits in the Premier League have caught the eye this season and you will certainly notice a unique difference from typical strips… 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal's Premier League home clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon is their "biggest game of the season" so far, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sevilla will attempt to bounce back from successive defeats in La Liga when they continue their campaign with a fixture against Rayo Vallecano at Estadio Ramon on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool will endeavour to maintain or increase their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table when they pit their wits against Southampton on Sunday at St Mary's.