Grimsby Town v Crawley Town

Grimsby Town have made a decent start to the new season as they prepare to face a struggling Crawley Town side.

The Mariners have adapted well to life in League Two following their promotion from the National League last term. They find themselves in 13th place in the league table and are only four points off the play-offs. Paul Hurst said his players deserve ‘credit’ after their impressive 1-1 draw away at Salford City last weekend as his side fought back from a goal down to pick up a point thanks to Lewis Richardson’s goal. In terms of selection news, Grimsby defender Michee Efete missed the trip to Salford which was a blow and is currently a nursing a hamstring problem. Nevertheless, Hull City loan man Andy Smith proved to be an adequate replacement in defence for him against his former club and will no doubt be on hand to put in another solid performance again if called upon. Hurst’s men have had some eye-catching wins so far this season, most notably against Walsall and Newport County, and they should have enough in their ranks to pick up another three points this weekend. They have proved to be a tough nut to crack so far and have only lost three times so far this term in the league.

Crawley have been in dire form and the pressure is mounting on their manager Kevin Betsy. The Red Devils only brought him in from Arsenal U23s over the summer, but he has struggled in his first Football League job and his team are 23rd in the division, with only Rochdale separating them from the bottom. They lost 2-1 at home to Stevenage last Saturday and Besty said that he can ‘understand’ the frustrations of the supporters at the moment. To make matters worse for his team, defender Tobi Omole is out with a long-term injury and his absence leaves a void in an already extremely leaky defence. The likes of Harry Ransom and Tony Craig have been powerless to stop the Sussex club from letting in goals and they have the second worse defensive record in the league behind Hartlepool United, having let in 19 in 11 matches. In addition, they have only won once so far in this campaign, so everything is stacked against them as they make the long trek up to Blundell Park.

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Stevenage v Swindon Town

Stevenage are one of the in-form teams in League Two right now and are preparing to lock horns with an inconsistent Swindon Town side.

Steve Evans’ side have been a surprise package this season and are currently sat joint-top of the table along with Leyton Orient having won nine games out of their opening 12 outings. They breezed past Sutton United 3-0 on Tuesday night courtesy of goals from defender Dan Sweeney and striker Luke Norris (x2) and Evans said it was a ‘very good’ victory for his team. Boro are on a roll at the moment and are proving tough opponents for everyone they play which is proven by the fact they have lost only twice so far this term. In terms of selection news, midfielder Dean Campbell has missed the past two games, but his absence isn’t really missed due to the likes of Jake Reeves, Jake Taylor, Alex Gilbey and Michael Bostwick all able to do a perfectly good job in his position which shows the strength in depth this team has. Stevenage’s home form is faultless so far and they are unbeaten in all six of their clashes at Broadhall Way. They have made it a fortress and have also conceded twice there so will be in very confident mood ahead of this weekend.

Swindon lost key player Harry McKirdy near the end of the last transfer window to Hibernian and are missing his influence and creativity. They have been inconsistent this season and although they picked up a 1-0 win over Newport County in midweek thanks to Plymouth Argyle loanee Luke Jephcott’s strike in the second half, their boss Scott Lindsey wasn’t entirely happy with the performance and said that they should have ‘scored more’. The Robins had 20 shots and won’t be expecting the same amount against a water-tight Stevenage backline next up.

The Wiltshire club have drawn too many matches in this campaign (five) which is the second most in the division which suggests that they have problems in making the most of the chances that they create. In addition, they have been dealt a blow on the injury front with centre-back Angus MacDonald ruled out with a broken collarbone. Veteran Mathieu Baudry came in for him against Newport but at the age of 34, he could struggle against Boro strikers Norris and Danny Rose, who have both been in decent form. Swindon are in for a tough afternoon on Saturday and are likely to become Stevenage’s next home victim.

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Bradford City v Stockport County

Bradford City have been scoring goals for fun of late as they take on a Stockport County side who are under pressure to get a result.

The Bantams have the prolific Andy Cook up front and he has been causing havoc for League Two defenders over recent weeks, scoring nine goals already this season. Mark Hughes’ side have picked up a bit of form recently and are unbeaten in their last seven league games which has seen them rise up to 4th in the table, six points off the automatic promotion places. They beat fellow Yorkshire club Harrogate Town 2-1 away last weekend courtesy of goals from Cook and Tyreik Wright and Hughes after that one that result was ‘exactly’ what his side wanted. The former Premier League boss has this team going well and they will fancy their chances against anyone as they seek promotion to League One. On the injury front, Crystal Palace loan man Scott Banks missed the trip to Harrogate with a calf injury and it is yet to be known if he will be back on Saturday. Nevertheless, Wright proved to be a useful alternative and will be hoping his goal will help keep his place in the starting XI. Bradford have found the net in nine of their opening 11 games and will fancy their chances of another positive result.

Stockport’s return to the Football League hasn’t quite gone to plan yet and they find themselves down in 19th place. The pressure could start to mount on Dave Challinor if they can’t start picking up more results soon and he needs a big performance from his players at Valley Parade. They drew 1-1 at home to Walsall last time out and their manager said that the result was the ‘hardest one to take of the season’ so far. The Hatters’ defence has proven to be very fragile, and they have conceded 16 goals already in this campaign, with only Hartlepool United, Rochdale and Crawley Town letting in more. This is a big worry for them ahead of their trip to take on a Bradford side containing Cook and he will be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of taking on County’s backline.

There is no doubt that the North West outfit miss right-back Macauley Southam-Hales, with rookie Blackburn Rovers loan man James Brown taking his place whilst he recovers from injury. It is not all doom and gloom at Stockport though, and with forward players such as Paddy Madden, Kyle Wootton and Antoni Sarcevic at their disposal, you can’t write them off and they could give the Bantams a game here, especially with over 1,500 away fans roaring them on.

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Hartlepool United v Carlisle United

Hartlepool United’s interim boss Keith Curle is taking on his former club Carlisle United this weekend.

The Pools decided to sack Paul Hartley after their dismal start to the new season, but that decision looks to have paid off so far. They fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Mansfield Town in Curle’s first game and then beat Doncaster Rovers 2-1 on Tuesday night, with winger Wes McDonald scoring an 86th minute winner. Curle said that the ‘town needed the win’ and will be hoping that the North East club have turned a corner now and can start to string results together. In terms of injury news, midfielder Nicky Featherstone has been sidelined recently but Tom Crawford has proven to be a useful replacement in the heart of midfield to help his side accumulate four points from a possible six over the past couple of matches. Hartlepool’s standout player has been summer signing Josh Umerah, who was plucked from non-league outfit Wealdstone and has adapted well to the step up a division, scoring six goals in 11 games, which is impressive for a side near the bottom. He has scored three in his last two and no team will be wanting to play against him this weekend as the feel-good factor returns to the Suit Direct Stadium.

Carlisle haven’t been convincing over recent times and they are in for a tricky afternoon in the North East. The amount of draws they have had so far (six in 11 games) has been very frustrating for the Cumbrian outfit and has stopped them from pushing up the league table. Their boss Paul Simpson has admitted that does expect ‘more’ from his players which highlights the general feel around the club at the moment. Injury problems have been an issue and the likes of Ryan Edmondson, Tobi Sho-Silva, Sonny Hilton and Jamie Devitt, who all play in attacking areas, are out of action. Nevertheless, striker Omari Patrick and defender Morgan Feeney returned to the squad in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at home to Crewe Alexandra which has boosted their options.

The stalemate against the Railwaymen was a slight setback as they were only able to muster a weak 44% possession in that one. Carlisle have struggled somewhat away from home and have only won once so far on the road in five outings so that may play on their mind as they head to Hartlepool.

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Northampton Town v Salford City

After their final day heartbreak last season, Northampton Town are putting in a strong case for being an automatic promotion contender in 2022-23. Third after playing 12 games, Jon Brady has had to spend the last couple of games without League top scorer Sam Hoskins through illness. His absence though has shown that Northampton are more than just the Hoskins show however, with fellow wide creator Mitch Pinnock and all-round midfielder Ben Fox catching the eye in their win at Swindon Town last weekend. Another undoubted star in midfield is Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Marc Leonard, consistently drawing immense praise for his technical ability and range of passing. Sam Sherring and Jon Guthrie form a solid centre-back partnership, with Guthrie carrying a notable threat from set pieces. Alongside fellow defender Tyler Magloire and Fulham loanee Kieran Bowie, club captain Guthrie is the Cobblers’ second top scorers, with Sam Hoskins some way ahead of everyone else.

Salford City will provide a stern test for the promotion-chasing Cobblers though. Even after the departure of star attacker Brandon Thomas-Asante to West Bromwich Albion, the Ammies still possess a team loaded with quality. Callum Hendry leads the line alongside a plethora of wide options that include Luke Bolton, Odin Bailey and Elliot Simões. Ryan Watson, Matty Lund and Ethan Galbraith formed the most recent Salford midfield trio, notably missing deeper-lying creator Elliot Watt during their recent 1-1 draw with Grimsby Town though. Ever-consistent left-back Ibou Touray and midfielder-turned-right-back Jason Lowe provide the width in defence, whilst Theo Vassell and Ryan Leak continue to form a partnership in the centre as club captain Ash Eastham returns to fitness.

Northampton Town against Salford City offers an exciting battle between third and fifth in the current League Two table. Both without important men in their most recent games, this could be a game that comes down to capitalising on individual moments or set pieces. Salford will need to be wary of the quality of Mitch Pinnock’s delivery, and the many strong options attacking his crosses, if they are to come away from Sixfields with any points. Cobblers confidence could see them victorious this weekend.

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Newport County v Rochdale

Newport County are under pressure to get a result this weekend against bottom of the table Rochdale. 

It has been a slow start to the season for the Exiles under James Rowberry and their manager will be praying that they can get a result in this one. The aim this season is to be in and around the promotion places but their 1-0 defeat to Swindon Town on Tuesday leaves them in 17^th position in the table. Rowberry said after that one that his side ‘dominated possession’ and ‘should’ have scored so if they can do that against a struggling Rochdale side. Newport stunned league leaders Leyton Orient last weekend by becoming the first team to beat them this term, with defender Will Evans and striker Omar Bogle scoring the goals which shows they are capable of competing with the best of the bunch. The latter has been in decent form since his summer switch from Hartlepool United which has been one positive from this campaign for Newport and means that injured attacker Offrande Zanzala, who is meant to return in mid-October, isn’t missed too much at the moment. Bogle has fired five goals so far, including one from the penalty spot against Leyton Orient, and will cause problems for their weak opponents this Saturday.

Rochdale are rock-bottom of the Football League and have endured a dire first few months of the season. They sacked Robbie Stockdale last month and brought in ex-Morecambe man Jim Bentley as his replacement. However, he hasn’t managed to spark an upturn in results just yet and the North West club have won just once in their opening 11 matches and were beaten 2-1 at home by Doncaster Rovers last time out. Speaking after that loss, Bentley admitted his side ‘looked shaky’ and ‘defended poorly’ and they can’t afford to do that against a Newport side with Bogle up top. The Dale don’t have any fresh injury concerns but have been seriously lacking a goal threat so far this term and have the joint-worst return to far on seven along with Harrogate Town.

To make matters worse, they also have the third-worst defensive record and have let in 18 goals in 11 which shows how fragile their backline is. They have picked up three points from a possible 18 on the road so most signs point towards another disappointing afternoon for Bentley’s men

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