Crewe Alexandra v Palace

The Alexandra Stadium, Sunday 2.15pm

Crewe

Team news

Crewe are currently stuck second from bottom, and having lost to Wimbledon on Thursday night, will be looking for precious points against Palace in their struggle to avoid relegation.

Youngster Dean Ashton has returned to the starting line up and is likely to partner Rob Hulse up front.

Defenders Dave Walton and David Wright should both be included in the starting line up. Having recovered from a calf injury, and with Wayne Collins currently injured, Wright should definitely be secured a start.

However Walton will have to battle it out with Steve Macauley, Efe Sodje and Stephen Foster for a place in central defence.

In midfield, Gareth Whalley, Kenny Lunt and Neil Sorvel should all get a place in the starting line up although, playing two games in four days following a busy Easter period, manager Dario Gradi could decide to make a few changes.

The main change to Francis' starting line up will be in goal. Matt Clarke is out injured, having been hit in the face by a shot from Birmingham's Geoff Horsfield and subsequently replaced by sub Cedric Carasso due to a swelling on his eye on Saturday.

Latvian keeper Alex Kolinko will therefore start in goal having just recovered from a medial ligament sprain sustained while on international last week. Carasso, who is on loan from Marseille, will be on the subs' bench.

Palace fans will gladly welcome back Australian centre back Tony Popovic to the starting line up. Popovic had been a rock in the centre of defence earlier in the season but he suffered a groin injury against Coventry in January which has kept him out until now.

Popovic could well slot straight back into the starting line up after fellow Australian defender Shaun Murphy returned to Sheffield United after his two month loan contract expired on Thursday.

Also, right back Jamie Smith is set miss out on the last three games of the season. Having aggravated his knee Smith has been sent back to see a specialist and could well be forced to once again undergo surgery.

Crewe Alexandra - league stats

Full league table

Crewe Alexandra - current form

Full form table

Our away record v Crewe Alexandra

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
17/11/2001	League	Crystal Palace	4 - 1	Crewe Alexandra
31/03/2001	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 0	Crewe Alexandra
16/12/2000	League	Crewe Alexandra	1 - 1	Crystal Palace
04/12/1999	League	Crewe Alexandra	2 - 0	Crystal Palace
07/09/1999	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 1	Crewe Alexandra

All time results

One to watch

Dean Ashton

The latest rising star from the famous Crewe youth academy which turned out players like David Platt and our own ex-Captain Geoff Thomas, is Dean Ashton. The tall and burly striker has netted some important goals this season and with Crewe one place from the bottom in the division, he will be needed to score some more. Good in the air, he is a physical striker who has attracted numerous Premiership scouts, and at the age of just 18, he has a long future ahead in the game. If Palace want to get a result at Gresty Road, they will have to make sure they contain the livewire forward.

Last meeting

English Division 1

Crewe 1 (1) Little 41 C Palace 1 (0) Freedman 80 16-12-2000

Crewe: Kearton, Wright, Foster, Sodje, Macauley(Smith,2), Lunt, Sorvel, Little, Cramb, Hulse (Smith,82), Rivers Subs not used: Bankole, Collins, Tait

C Palace: Kolinko, Smith ,Austin, Fan Zhiyi, Ruddock (sent off, 45), Mullins, Morrison, Black, Forssell (Freedman,57), Pollock, Harrison (Rodger,58) Subs not used: Thomson, Carlisle, Kabba

Bookings: Little, Rivers (Crewe)

Attendance: 5,752

Referee: M L Dean (Wirral)

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