Where the match will be won, drawn or lost
OUR PREVIEW TO TODAY’S CLASH AT GRESTY ROAD
GRIMSBY Town are back on the road today as they take on League Two rivals Crewe Alexandra (3pm).
Michael Jolley’s men head to Gresty Road in fine form, having clocked up three wins and a draw from their last four matches. Given their last two visits to the venue, this date may not have been the first one some Town fans looked for when the fixtures were released at the start of the season. Indeed, a low point of the club’s first season back in the Football League was THAT defeat under Marcus Bignot, while the Railwaymen inflicted an almost equally painstaking reverse on the Mariners last term.
But this is a new campaign, and this new Town side are in tip-top form. Here is everything you need to know ahead of this afternoon’s clash (3pm).
INJURY NEWS
Elliott Whitehouse (knee) remains a long-term absentee, while defender Harry Davis and striker Harry Cardwell are also on the sidelines, although they could make a return to training soon.
Town’s injury situation is a far-cry from just two weeks ago, when 13 players missed the Checkatrade Trophy trip to South Yorkshire neighbours Doncaster Rovers.
KEY BATTLE – Jordan Bowery vs Alex Whitmore Given that Town have kept FOUR straight clean sheets, the most basic statement to make is how well the two centre-halves have played.
Of course, those shut-outs have been a result of the collective, but at the heart of that both Danny Collins and Alex Whitmore – a summer arrival from Chesterfield – have been simply superb.
Whitmore was handed our ‘Star Man’ award after victory over Colchester, and he will take centre stage once again this weekend. He’s set to come up against Jordan Bowery, a lively frontman who already has four goals to his name this season.
Tom Pope, Jayden Stockley and Luke Norris have all been stopped in their tracks on recent visits to Blundell Park.
But as Town prepare to hit go on their travels, it’s over to Whitmore and co to do the business once again in Cheshire.
WHAT THE BOSSES ARE SAYING...
On the draw at Yeovil on Tuesday night, Crewe manager David Artell said: “If it was a boxing match it would have been stopped. We deserved far more than a point.
“If there was one negative it was that we didn’t stick away more chances. The amount of times we got in behind and made the wrong decision right at the end. “Don’t get me wrong, looking at the bigger picture of the last four days, would I have taken four points? Of course I would going into two home games.”
Town boss Michael Jolley added: “I’m confident in these players. We have a good group that can keep improving, growing and move forward as a group.
“But we are not making any grand statements about what we can or can’t do. “We are realistic about our position in the league table, but equally we think we can grow into the season and build on the performances we have had recently.”
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME?
Town were handed their second League Two defeat inside three days when Crewe earned a 2-0 victory at Gresty Road.
Chris Porter opened the scoring for the home side, with Brad Walker doubling it up for the Railwaymen ten minutes before the half-time break.
And that’s how it finished in front of 3,292 fans in Cheshire, as the Mariners fell to a third reverse in four games.
Just 48 hours on from the heavy home defeat to Accrington Stanley, there was a fair bit of movement in the Town ranks. Five changes were made to the starting XI, with Paul Dixon, Karleigh Osborne, James Berrett, Martyn Woolford and Scott Vernon all given their chance to impress.