SCENE SETTER
Crawley will be looking for their second League 2 double of the season when they head to the Globe Arena on Saturday to face Morecambe.
Reds have only won four games in 2019 and just once in the last nine. They have won three times on the road and we sit 21st in the form table based on the last ten games.
Morecambe are 11th in the form table with four wins in their last ten games but they have beaten Forest Green Rovers and MK Dons in their last two home matches after a run of four losses in five previously in front of their own supporters.
THE HISTORY
Reds have won on their last two visits to the Globe Arena. Last season, Billy Clifford scored directly from a corner in a 1-0 win and in 2016 Reds won 3-2 with all the goals coming in the last 20 minutes. Adi Yussuf, James Collins and Jimmy Smith scored for Reds.
Our two other visits to Morecambe in the League ended in a 6-0 defeat in 2011 – Crawley’s biggest loss at this level – and a 3-1 defeat in October 2015 when Rhys Murphy was our goalscorer.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Morecambe manager Jim Bentley is looking for a response from his side after they lost 4-0 at Swindon last Saturday. He said: “Hopefully it’s a wake-up call because we’ve been doing well. They deserve all the pats on the back when they are doing well but, when you take a heavy defeat away from home, you’re open to a bit of criticism.
“Some of our play was good but we’ve been beaten 4-0 so we have to reflect on it this week and come out fighting.”
TEAM NEWS
Jimmy Smith (knee), Josh Doherty (hip), Luke Gambin (thigh) and Josh Payne (ankle) are all sidelined for Reds while Ibrahim Meite serves the second game of his three-match suspension.
THE MATCH OFFICIALS
Eddie Ilderton will be in charge of only his second Crawley fixture. The previous match was a goalless draw at Doncaster in September 2014 when John Gregory was in charge of Reds.
The Tyne & Wear official has taken charge of 11 games this season, issuing two red and 29 yellow cards.
He will be assisted by Robert Atkin and Richard Bartlett. Matt Perry is the fourth official.
HOW THEY BET
Morecambe are 6-5 favourites with a Crawley win and the draw available at 11-5. All odds supplied by League sponsors Sky Bet, who also offer 17-2 on a 1-0 Crawley win.
TICKET INFORMATION
It is pay on the day for Reds fans. For more information click here
COVERAGE
The game will be available for UK subscribers of iFollow from 2.55pm with live commentary from BBC Sussex & Surrey Sport's Gary Smith.
You must be a subscriber to listen (UK) to this service. You can subscribe here. Overseas users can of course watch the action live.
There will also be coverage across our social media channels throughout the afternoon. @crawleytown on Twitter, Crawley Town FC on Facebook and crawley_town_fc on Instagram.
