Crewe Alexandra will be looking to record three successive victories for the first time this term when they welcome League Two pace-setters Stockport County to Mornflake Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Alex are on a mission to secure promotion back to the third tier at the second time of asking, whereas the Hatters are well on their way to putting May's playoff-final heartbreak firmly in the rearview mirror.
Match preview
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On what was manager Lee Bell's 50th game in the charge of the club since taking the reins in November 2022, Crewe Alexandra recorded back-to-back wins in League Two with a 4-2 victory at the home of Crawley Town on Saturday, upholding their reputation as sharp shooters at the start of 2023-24.
Alexandra found themselves 2-1 down after a sloppy opening 30 minutes of the contest, but strikes from Elliott Nevitt, marksmen Courtney Baker-Richardson and an own-goal by Crawley's Dion Conroy propelled the visitors at Broadfield Stadium to their seventh win of the league campaign.
Key to Crewe's upturn in form so far this season has been the goalscoring antics of Chris Long, who has netted seven times in 13 fourth-tier appearances, rediscovering the clinical touch which helped him to fire in 10 goals in 32 games for the club as they were relegated from League One in 2021-22.
Having scored on 34 occasions in their opening 14 league matches, Tuesday's hosts are currently the most potent attack in England's top four leagues, with that stellar offensive record assisting them to third position in the League Two standings, two points ahead of fourth-placed Wrexham.
Bell's men have maintained an impressive record at the Mornflake Stadium during the early stages of the season, with Crewe one of two sides who are yet to taste defeat in front of their home faithful, collecting 17 points from seven matches at their Cheshire base.
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Stockport County's winning run across all competitions extended to nine matches with a hard-fought success at home to Grimsby Town on Saturday afternoon, with the Hatters earning a maximum at Edgeley Park despite a valiant comeback by the struggling visitors from Lincolnshire.
With Louie Barry and Isaac Olaofe both making the net ripple within the opening eight minutes, Stockport raced into an early 2-0 lead but were pegged back by strikes from Donovan Wilson and Gavan Holohan, but the hosts' Aston Villa loanee was on hand in the second period to clinch the winning goal.
Former Millwall man Olaofe and Barry both have nine goals to their name so far in League Two, with the latter winning the division's Player of the Month award for September, as well as finding the net in seven consecutive games for the club earlier in the term - a feat no other player has managed.
The Hatters have the chance to smash another record on Tuesday night, as a win in Cheshire against Crewe would stretch their winning run to 10 matches, an achievement the club have only managed twice during their 138-year history, with both of those periods being under the stewardship of current boss Dave Challinor.
After their best start to a league campaign since the 1993-94 season, Stockport sit top of the pile in League Two having earned 29 points from their first 14 matches, with another maximum at Mornflake potentially enough to take the Hatters eight points clear of fourth.
Team News
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Crewe are expected to name an unchanged side from the one which dismantled Crawley away from home last time out, meaning Mickey Demetriou, Aaron Rowe and goalscorer Nevitt will have to settle for places on the bench once again.
The Alex had a few players away on international duty over the past fortnight, with both Connor O'Riordan and Matus Holicek returning unharmed from their adventures with the youth teams of Ireland and Slovakia respectively.
Goal contributions have been spread around the Crewe side so far as they lead the top-four leagues in the offensive metrics, with centre-backs Zac Williams and Luke Offord both getting assists on the weekend.
Talking of creators, Stockport midfielder William Collar earned his fifth and sixth assists of the season in the victory over Grimsby last time out, and the 26-year-old will play alongside Ryan Croasdale and former Birmingham City youngster Odin Bailey in the visitors' engine room.
After being the Hatters' go-to man in terms of goals during the last two campaigns, Kyle Wootton has been forced to settle for a role as an impact player due to the form of Barry and Olaofe, with the ex-Notts County bagsman failing to find the net in three appearances this term.
A similar narrative is true for Irishman Paddy Madden, who has started just five games for Challinor's men in 2023-24 despite bagging 23 goals as Stockport escaped the troubles of non-league football in the 2021-22 term.
Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:
Davies; Offord, O'Riordan, Williams; Adebisi, White, Powell, Tabiner; Tracey, Long, Baker-Richardson
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
Hinchliffe; Southam-Hales, Wright, Horsfall, Pye; Collar, Croasdale, Bailey, Sarcevic; Olaofe, Barry
We say: Crewe Alexandra 2-2 Stockport County
With the division's best attack meeting the division's top side, it is hard to judge where to place your bets as Crewe face Stockport on Tuesday night.
The Hatters did not produce their finest display despite earning all three points against Grimsby on the weekend, and we believe County's winning run will end at Mornflake Stadium in this one.
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