Crewe vs Grimsby Town Predictions

Crewe come into this game in good form, having lost only once in their last five league matches. The latest decent result was a midweek draw against Yeovil. The match finished 1-1, with Jordan Bowery continuing his good from with another goal early in the game, however Crewe were quickly pegged back by Yeovil. Whilst both teams had chances to win it, the points were ultimately shared and Crewe gained a decent point away from home.

Indeed, they had won their first away match in the game before, beating a decent Stevenage team 1-0. They were greatly helped by Stevenage having a man sent off in the first twenty minutes but made hard work of it and only took the lead through Jordan Bowery in the second half. Nonetheless, it was their first win away from home in the league this season. They had played their first six without winning and only scoring once in those games, so to get four points and two goals from these games shows real progress for the side.

Home form hasn’t been a problem for Crewe this season and during this positive run, they drew 1-1 with Bury and beat Swindon 1-0. These represented strong sides in the division and shows that they can compete with anyone in this division on their day. Indeed, even the 1-0 loss away at Lincoln wasn’t the worst result and, judging by the past five games, Crewe are more than comfortable in this division.

Their opponents for this game, Grimsby, are also in sparkling form, having won three times in their last four league matches, moving them from the relegation zone to 19th place. The latest victory was arguably their most impressive, beating high-flying Colchester 1-0 at home, thanks to a second-half goal from Wes Thomas. To keep a clean sheet against a team who had been the league’s top scorers exhibited the growing confidence of this team, having made an awful start to the season.

Indeed, that was the fourth clean sheet in a row for Grimsby. They held Exeter City at home to a goalless draw, whilst also saw off Carlisle and Port Vale with clean sheets behind them. Wes Thomas has helped spark this revival, scoring also in the match with Port Vale, whilst goalkeeper James McKeown saved a penalty in the match against Exeter. It is the growing confidence in these players that is fuelling Grimsby’s rise up the table.

Their start to the season has been dreadful, with a run that saw them lose six games in a row, five of which they failed to score in. However, it is testament to manager Michael Jolley that he has managed to sort out his team’s defensive problems effectively and to make sure they have enough in attack to damage teams. Spearheaded by former Stoke player Danny Collins and with talents like Elliott Embleton, the team can really push on now.

However, this game may be one too far for Grimsby. Crewe are very tough to beat at home and have seen off tougher opposition than Grimsby. It is a fortress for them, so we expect them to win this one. However, Grimsby will make it incredibly tough, now armed with a distinct style of play, so backing Crewe to Win and Under 2.5 Goals would be a smart bet to make. In terms of a correct result, we are going for 1-0 Crewe, who could edge what will be a tight match, potentially with few chances.