Our prediction for this League 2 match:
Alexandra Stadium will host Friday’s football game between Crewe Alexandra and Newport County. The Railwaymen did well to beat Colchester and Swindon in the previous two league matches, but they failed to spoil Barnsley’s party at Oakwell in the FA Cup at the weekend. Danger man Courtney Baker-Richardson should miss out with injury, but there are no fresh selection worries in the home team.
The Exiles, on the other hand, aim to recover from the FA Cup defeat to Derby County. Newport County defeated Gillingham 2-0 at home in their last league match, but given their four-game winless run on the road, we believe that home win should be considered. Since there are no fresh injury concerns in the away team, boss Graham Coughlan is unlikely to make changes to the team that suffered the 2-1 loss to Derby County at the weekend.
Highlighted Player (James Clark ):
Born in Berlin, Germany, James Clark is an experienced defender who plays for Walsall in the League Two. After spending his youth career at Watford, Clark played for the likes of Oxford United, Oxford City, Salisbury City, Woking, and Bristol Rovers before joining Walsall on a two-year deal.
The defender, who wears the No. 5 jersey at Walsall, has a contract with the Saddlers which should expire in June 2021. His primary position is centre-back, but he is capable of producing fine displays as a right-back as well. His preferred foot is right. James Clark made his League Two debut with Walsall on August 3, 2019 in a 1-0 win over Northampton Town.
He scored his first goal for the Saddlers in the Northampton Town clash as well, helping the team pick up all three points from the PTS Academy Stadium clash. Clark scored his first professional goal during his spell with Bristol Rovers. He found the net in a 2-1 win over Wycombe at the start of the 2018/19 season.
Highlighted Team (Crewe):
Crewe Aleandra are a professional football club that welcome their rivals at Gresty Road. The stadium was built in 1906, and it can hold up to 10,153 spectators. Founded back in 1877, Crewe Alexandra play their home games in red shirts and white shorts, while yellow is the dominant colour of their away kit.
The Railwaymen played their first game against North Staffs in 1877, with the two teams sharing the spoils (1-1) at Alexandra Recreation Ground. Nowadays, Crewe compete in the League 2 where they take on their main rivals Port Vale. In 2014 a match between the two sides resulted in violence and arrests. The likes of Wrexham, Macclesfield Town, Shrewsbury Town, and Stoke City are considered the club’s rivals as well.
In 2013 Crewe Alexandra clinched the Football League Trophy as they defeated Southend United 2-0 in the title game at Wembley Stadium. Goals from Max Clayton and Luke Murphy helped the Railwaymen clinch their first and only Football League Trophy.