Rovers face Crewe Alexandra in tonight’s Northern Area Quarter Final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Gresty Road (7.30pm).
Rovers face the Railwaymen, who were formed in 1877, for the second time in a month. The first fixture, being in npower League One, ended in a 2-0 victory for the away side which brought Rovers long unbeaten run, that stretched back to early October, to an end.
Speaking to the gathered press ahead of the game, Dean admitted that that defeat has to be ‘put right’.
“We’ve already played them this season and they beat us – we had chances but failed to take them. We have to try and put that right, I want to see everybody put in a good performance, I want to see players out there who want to win, who are determined and want to do the ugly side that other players don’t want to do.”
Crewe are renowned for producing top class players through their successful Academy, but the man behind most of that success, Dario Gradi MBE, is no longer in the Alex hot seat after deciding to step down as manager and take the role of Technical Director.
Former Alex defender Steve Davis replaced Gradi in November 2011 and masterminded a club-record 18 game unbeaten run which saw the Railwaymen secure promotion to League One via the play-offs.
Although the stars of last season have now moved on from Crewe, most notably Nick Powell who secured a move to Manchester United, whilst Ashley Westwood, moved to Aston Villa, the current side still boast plenty of players from the academy, and most are under the age of 25.
The clubs’ current scorer is Mathias Pogba, brother of former Manchester United and now Juventus star Paul Pogba. He has eight goals so far this season but manager Dean Saunders is aware of the threat he possesses having worked with him at Wrexham.
Both sides will be looking to put the disappointment of defeat in the FA Cup with Budweiser, behind them in the second of two cup games in succession. Crewe failed to capitalise on home advantage against League Two Burton Albion, whilst Rovers were beaten at Oldham Athletic.
Did You Know?
In 2006, The Railwaymen, were voted the ‘most admired club’, in the football league awards, sponsored by Four Four Two magazine and the League Paper.
Team News:
Dean will be without the services of Martin Woods (thigh), David Syers (ankle) whilst Kyle Bennett has taken part in training however he will not feature.
Jamie McCombe, Tommy Spurr and Michael Woods are struggling with illness whilst Robbie Blake had to visit the doctor for tests after taking ill.
Paul Keegan will definitely miss out after receiving his fifth booking of the season against Oldham Athletic.
James Harper and Andy Griffin have both returned to training and Iain Hume and David Cotterill are available for selection after serving their respective suspensions.
Weather:
Occasional rain, sleet and snow – the risk of ice developing as the evening progresses.
Temperature: 3-4oC
Travel:
No scheduled roadworks. Supporters are advised to allow extra time for the journey to avoid any unexpected delays.
Where To Drink:
The Royal Hotel, on Nantwich Road near the railway station, is a favourable with away supporters. With separate bars for Home and Away fans, the Irish themed bar provides a warm friendly welcome to all.
Rovers Player:
Live and exclusive coverage of Crewe Alexandra v Doncaster Rovers at Alexandra Stadium on Tuesday 4th December 2012 will be available on Rovers Player from 7.15pm. Contact the commentary team via our official Twitter feed @drfc_official throughout the evening.
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