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

The home side are currently 12th in the table, while the visitors are just two points behind, occupying 13th place.

Match preview

Tranmere are in great form heading into the match, winning their last four league games and keeping clean sheets in every one of them.

Most recently, Micky Mellon's side were 2-0 victors on the road against Sutton United, with Kane Hemmings and Paul Lewis scoring first-half goals to secure all three points for their side.

In the second half, Rovers managed to see the game out, acquiring yet another clean sheet due to stellar defensive effort from centre-back pairing Jordan Turnbull and Dynel Simeu, who have impressed at the back recently.

Having only conceded nine goals so far this season, Tranmere have the joint-second best defensive record in the league, and they have not allowed their opponents to even get close to their goal in recent matches, suffering just one shot on target in their last two outings.

Now that the Wirral-based side seem to have found their feet in the league, they will want to improve their home record and make Prenton Park the fortress it was last season, in which they had the best record in the league on home soil.

Crewe will be hoping to put a three-game winless run to bed on Friday night, having fallen down the table considerably after a good start to the season.

Draws have been the main issue for Alex Morris's side of late, with five of their last eight league matches ending without a winner, including their last two games.

Last time out, The Railwaymen could only manage a 1-1 draw at home against a struggling Gillingham side, a result that leaves them four points adrift of the League Two playoffs.

Another issue for Crewe of late has been their away record, unable to win away from the Mornflake Stadium since the opening day, a statistic that does not bode well heading into a game against a team that are in such good form.

Tranmere Rovers League Two form:

L

L

W

W

W

W

Tranmere Rovers form (all competitions):

W

D

W

W

L

W

Crewe Alexandra League Two form:

L

D

W

L

D

D

Team News

Micky Mellon is unlikely to make too many changes with his side playing so well as of late, and is poised to keep faith in the backline that started against Sutton, with Turnbull and Simeu at centre-back.

Josh Dacres-Cogley and Ethan Bristow have also played a key part in Tranmere's recent impressive defensive record, with the duo expected to start as full-backs on Friday.

Elsewhere, one change Mellon made last time out that he is likely to stick with is the inclusion of Paul Lewis, who was chosen over Elliott Nevitt, and played very well before being brought off late on.

For Crewe, Courtney Baker-Richardson will be the preferred man up front, with the 26-year-old scoring two goals in his last three games, and on a tally of six so far this season.

Joining him in attack should be last weekend's goalscorer Daniel Agyei, who has enjoyed a decent start to the season, with four goals and two assists in League Two at this stage.

Tranmere Rovers possible starting lineup:

Doohan; Dacres-Cogley, Turnbull, Simeu, Bristow; O'Connor, Merrie, Morris, Hawkes, Lewis; Hemmings

Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Mellor, Offord, McDonald, Adebisi; Thomas, King, Tabiner, Ukakwe; Agyei, Baker-Richards

We say: Tranmere Rovers 1-0 Crewe Alexandra

With Tranmere on such an impressive run of form, it is difficult to see past them making it five consecutive wins on Friday.

Crewe will not make it easy for them however, having taken decent points away at Carlisle United and Bradford City, and so we expect Tranmere to win by a narrow margin.

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