Tuesday 17th February 2015 (7:45pm), Sky Bet League One, Keepmoat Stadium.
Doncaster Rovers enter their third of five home games this month in a rich vein of form, having dispatched Yeovil Town at the weekend on their last outing at Keepmoat Stadium.With four clean sheets in their last six games, Paul Dickov’s play-off chasers will go in to a home fixture with Crewe Alexandra with little fear.
The pair drew at The Alexandra Stadium 1-1 earlier on the season after veteran midfielder James Coppinger rescued a point for the South Yorkshire side.
Uche Ikpeazu who was on loan to the Railwaymen from Watford at the time, had put Steve Davis’ hosts in the ascendancy in the first half, before Coppinger’s strike in the second.
Ikpeazu has of course moved to Keepmoat Stadium since that meeting, but is yet to register for his new side but could come in to contention after a couple of games on the sidelines nursing a hamstring strain.
Rovers haven’t been hampered by Ikpeazu’s absence, however, and routed former Conference adversaries Yeovil courtesy of goals from Nathan Tyson, Dean Furman and Kyle Bennett.
That win has moved Dickov’s team to eighth in the table – their highest position since August – but The Alex are not to be underestimated having won seven out of their last ten games to ease any relegation worries.
The last time that Crewe were in Doncaster, they took all three points thanks to goals from Lauri Dalla Valle and Mathias Pogba, though Rovers would avenge that defeat in the return thanks to Billy Paynter’s momentous double salvo late in the season.
Last time out (Tues 6th November 2012):
Attendance – 5411
Keepmoat Stadium
League One
Crewe 2 (Dalla Valle, 5; Pogba, 72)
DRFC 0
DRFC – G Woods, P Quinn, T Spurr, J Husband, R Jones (S Martis, 27), M Woods, P Keegan, D Syers (R Blake, 46), J Harper (C Brown, 75), B Paynter, I Hume
Crewe - A Martin, M Ellis, M Tootle, H Davis, A Osman, L Murphy, K Mellor, C Aneke (G Robertson, 89), B Moore (M West, 46), L Dalla Valle, M Pogba
Head to head league results (in Doncaster):
Rovers – 22
Crewe – 10
Draws – 10
Team News:
Rovers – Harry Forrester (groin) will undergo a fitness test prior to kick off. James Coppinger and Luke McCullough both seem unlikely to make a return just yet. Uche Ikpeazu could be in the running to face his former loan club.
Fancy a flutter? Rovers 4/6, Draw 3/1, Crewe 19/4
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