As the race for League Two promotion reaches a climax, playoff hopefuls Colchester United will welcome Crewe Alexandra to the Jobserve Community Stadium for a six-pointer on Friday.
The U's will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce this week, while the Railwaymen will be desperate for three points to keep up with their rivals.
Match preview
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Danny Cowley's Colchester have bounced back from consecutive defeats at the end of March with seven points from their last three games and head into this week's clash with momentum as they push for a place in the third tier next season.
Most recently, the U's left it late when they beat Newport County 2-0 on the road thanks to a pair of last-gasp goals from Fiacre Kelleher and Anthony Scully, though the mood was dampened as top-scorer Lyle Taylor was forced off with an injury after only 11 minutes.
The three points that Cowley's men earned on Saturday has taken them to within one point of seventh-placed Grimsby Town in the playoffs, and with four games to play, the Mariners will be feeling the pressure from looking over their shoulder.
Adding to this pressure is the fact that Friday's hosts have lost just one of their last eight at the Jobserve Community Stadium - winning six and drawing one going back to late January - and the U's will be expecting to put points on the board in front of their own crowd.
Should Colchester manage to seize a vital win this week, then they could find themselves in the playoff spots and even level on points with sixth-placed Notts County depending on the outcome of Grimsby's game against Swindon Town and the Magpies' clash with Bradford City.
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Meanwhile, Lee Bell's Crewe have seen their ambitions of promotion take a hit after winning just one of their last eight matches and losing three of their last four.
Most recently, the Railwaymen were beaten 3-2 by Cheltenham Town, and considering that the Robins had lost four on the bounce prior to the game, the boss will be extremely disappointed that his team conceded twice after Kane Hemmings had equalised from the spot.
Dropping another three points last Thursday means that Bell's side have now surrendered 18 since the beginning of March, a disastrous spell of form that has left the club in 11th place, five points adrift of the playoffs and four behind their opponents.
With time running out to close the gap to their rivals, avoiding defeat to Colchester at the very least will be crucial, and given that Friday's visitors have only lost one of their last five on the road, they will draw confidence from their away record.
If Crewe can pull off an unlikely victory this week, then they could climb up to ninth in the table ahead of Salford City and Chesterfield, though the Railwaymen will have to defy their own form having won just one of their seven games on their travels since the start of February.
Team News
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Colchester are likely to be without second striker Lyle Taylor on Friday after he was withdrawn early on against Newport with an injury.
In his absence, Tyreece Simpson could join Samson Tovide up front, with Oscar Thorn and Owura Edwards providing width.
Elsewhere, Jamie McDonnell and Arthur Read should operate at the base of Cowley's midfield, while Fiacre Kelleher and Tom Flanagan protect Matt Macey between the sticks.
As for Crewe, midfielder Tom Lowery was forced off with an injury at half time against Cheltenham, and if he is unavailable, Owen Lunt could join Max Sanders and Jack Powell in a three on Friday.
In attack, strikers Omar Bogle and Kane Hemmings should be supported by overlapping runs from wing-backs Max Conway and Lewis Billington.
Colchester United possible starting lineup:
Macey; Egbo, Kelleher, Flanagan, Iandolo; McDonnell, Read; Thorn, Simpson, Edwards; Tovide
Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:
Marschall; O'Riordan, Demetriou, Williams; Billington, Lunt, Sanders, Powell, Conway; Bogle, Hemmings
We say: Colchester United 2-1 Crewe Alexandra
All of the momentum seems to be with Colchester ahead of this week's crucial clash, and with the playoffs in sight, they will be motivated to deliver another strong performance.
That being said, Crewe have proven tough to beat on the road, so expect to see a close-fought contest regardless of the result.
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