Gabriele Cioffi will take charge of Crawley Town for the first time this Saturday as the Reds host Morecambe at the Broadfield Stadium.
Joined on the touchline by new coaching staff assistant Nathan Rooney and Jimmy Smith, the Italian will look to pick up a debut win as Head Coach and emulate the type of performance that saw the Reds pick up a memorable 1-0 win at Lincoln City last weekend, when Filipe Morais and Bondz N’Gala linked up to force the winning own goal from Michael Bostwick.
Morecambe are finding life in League Two tough so far this campaign, having won one and lost six of their seven league matches. Their last outing saw them lose 1-0 at home to Swindon Town at the Globe Arena.
HEAD TO HEAD
Morecambe and Crawley have faced off 14 times in our history, with eight of those coming in the Football League.
The first Football League contest between the two sides was a highly forgettable one for those of a Town persuasion, as Steve Evans oversaw a 6-0 defeat in Lancashire just five weeks into our debut season in the 92.
However, our record in the past five meetings is more pleasing, losing just once in that time. That came in February 2017, as the visitors ran out 3-1 winners at the Broadfield Stadium. The corresponding fixture, four months prior at the Globe Arena, saw the Reds run our 3-2 victors in a crazy game that saw all five goals scored in a 20-minute spell in the second half, including a 93rd minute strike from Jimmy Smith.
Last season saw us draw 1-1 at the Broadfield Stadium, with both goals scored in second-half stoppage time, and win 1-0 in Morecambe thanks to Kevin Ellison’s own goal – he was always sent off 14 minutes later.
ONE TO WATCH
Prolific striker AJ Leitch-Smith is a product of the famed Crewe Alexandra academy, and made his first team debut for the Alex in 2008, aged 18. After an impressive time in Cheshire, where he scored 19 goals in 103 appearances, Yeovil Town snapped him up, via loan spells at Halifax Town, Curzon Ashton and iBV of Iceland among others.
Since then he has played for Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town and Dundee before calling Morecambe home this summer.
He has scored once already this season – the winner in Morecambe’s only victory when they beat Northampton Town 1-0 at the Globe Arena.
TICKETS
Tickets for all home fixtures can now be bought online here.
You can also purchase over the phone by calling 01293 410000 or by calling in at the stadium ticket office, which opens from 9am-4.30pm weekdays and from 10am on Saturday.
Tickets will be also be available to purchase on the day.
MATCH COVERAGE
iFollow Crawley will be providing live coverage from 2.55pm with commentary from Gary Smith. UK users will not be able to watch this match as the broadcasting regulations return to usual. Overseas users will have all their standard features available.
There will also be live updates on BBC Sussex throughout their afternoon sports show, while the official Crawley Town social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram will provide coverage throughout the afternoon.
