Separated by five points in the fight for places in the top seven of the League Two table, Crewe Alexandra will welcome Bromley to the Mornflake Stadium for an important contest on Sunday.
The hosts have dropped to fifth spot following a tricky run in December, while their visitors sit 11th but have moved within three points of the playoffs thanks to an unbeaten streak.
Match preview
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Crewe Alexandra return to action on Sunday aiming to make it back-to-back wins to kick off the New Year, with the chance to move back into League Two's automatic promotion spots after a tough spell.
After moving onto 28 points from 14 outings in late November, the Railwaymen managed just one more victory in their last eight league games of 2024, beating Grimsby Town before Christmas, only to play out a goalless draw with Colchester United and suffer a Boxing Day defeat to Cheltenham Town, dropping out of the top three in the process.
A more creditable draw with MK Dons then rounded out the year, as Jamie Knight-Lebel levelled the scores at a goal apiece in the second half, before Lee Bell's side began 2025 at home to basement side Carlisle United.
They looked set to come out of that game empty-handed, as Jack Ellis and Kadeem Harris had the visitors 2-1 up heading into injury time, but Omar Bogle would level the scores before Jack Lankester snatched all three points for the Railwaymen in the 98th minute.
Having moved back up to fifth spot with that victory and remained within a single point of third-placed Doncaster Rovers and second-placed AFC Wimbledon, Crewe Alexandra will now aim to build another winning run to make a return to the automatic promotion spots.
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They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive in the midst of a fine run with their sights set on the playoff places.
After winning promotion to England's fourth tier for the first time in their history last time around, Bromley have enjoyed a pleasing start to life in League Two, currently sitting 11th having earned 34 points from their opening 23 outings.
Across those games, Andy Woodman's side have suffered just five defeats, with only Sunday's hosts and leaders Walsall losing fewer, with the most recent of those coming in mid-October.
The Ravens have since gone 12 games unbeaten, winning six and drawing six of those, including five victories in their last seven attempts, most recently beating Newport County and drawing with Swindon Town after Christmas before kicking off 2025 with a 3-0 away triumph over Gillingham on Thursday thanks to goals from Louis Dennis, Jude Arthurs and Kamarl Grant.
Thanks to their eye-catching run in recent months, particularly since the beginning of December, Bromley now sit just three points off the final playoff place, four behind sixth-placed Port Vale and five behind Sunday's hosts and fourth spot, and they will be keen to further extend the hot streak and move within touching distance of the top seven with another statement win on the road.
Team News
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Lee Bell should field a similar Crewe Alexandra starting XI from their New Year's Day win over Carlisle United, although Omar Bogle and Jack Lankester both have claims to come in from the outset after scoring important injury-time goals off the bench.
Chris Long should keep his place up top, though, having netted the Railwaymen's opener in that game to move onto four goals from 11 appearances this season.
Max Sanders, Joel Tabiner and 19-year-old Matus Holicek will all hope to keep their places in the midfield, while Jamie Knight-Lebel and Zac Williams should again join Mickey Demetriou in a back three.
Bromley should be unchanged from their 3-0 away win over Gillingham on Thursday, with Louis Dennis bound to keep his place up front after netting his second goal of the season in that game on his return to the side.
He will continue to join talismanic striker Michael Cheek, whose tally of 12 League One goals this term is only topped by one player in the division, taking his tally to 105 goals in 243 games for the Ravens.
Elsewhere, Deji Elerewe and Omar Sowumni, who has contributed five goals of his own this season, will continue their partnership at the heart of a back four.
Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:
Marschall; Knight-Lebel, Demetriou, Williams; Cooney, Holicek, Sanders, Conway; Lankester; Bogle, Long
Bromley possible starting lineup:
Smith; Grant, Elerewe, Sowumni, Odutayo; Imray, Thompson, Arthurs, Whitely; Dennis, Cheek
We say: Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Bromley
With the hosts having regained confidence from a return to winning ways last time out and the visitors growing in confidence and climbing towards the top seven, we anticipate a tight contest on Sunday and see a share of the spoils as the most likely outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
