Crawley Town and Barrow will go head to head on Tuesday night as they both look to remain within the League Two playoff zone in a rescheduled gameweek 36 encounter at Broadfield Stadium.
The last automatic promotion spot appears out of reach for both sides, but the hosts currently occupy seventh position, which is the final playoff spot while the visitors are in sixth and only two points ahead.
Match preview
Crawley Town started 2024 with a tough run, claiming only two wins in six games (with three defeats). However, the Red Devils bounced back significantly in the following 11 matches, winning eight and losing just three.
This good form saw them climb to seventh place, securing the final coveted playoff spot with more possibilities emerging.
However, their last two games have been a struggle to hold onto that final spot. They lost 4-1 to already-promoted Wrexham before a disappointing 3-2 home defeat against lowly Colchester.
Manager Scott Lindsey will be hoping his side can stop the rot and take advantage of the opportunity presented by facing direct playoff rivals Barrow. The Red Devils have played one more league game than Tuesday's opponents, and only a win will see them leapfrog them in the table.
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, reaching the playoffs would be a massive achievement for Crawley. However, to go all the way, positive results in their remaining three matches are crucial, as there are up to six teams behind them still in contention.
With their strong home record of five wins and one defeat, Crawley will be feeling positive about picking up the much-needed points against Barrow.
Similar to the hosts, Barrow are coming into this clash on the back of a winless run. The Bluebirds have lost their last three matches, effectively ending their automatic promotion chances.
The run started with a 2-1 defeat to Morecambe, followed by a 2-0 loss to Swindon Town, and finally a 3-0 defeat against Gillingham last time out, a game where they played with ten men after George Ray received a red card in the 22nd minute.
Prior to this slump, they were unbeaten for six matches, putting them firmly in the automatic promotion conversation. However, they now sit in sixth place with 67 points, just three points ahead of eighth-placed Doncaster Rovers, having played one fewer game.
With only four games left in the season, Pete Wild's men need to find a way to end their losing streak as they risk falling out of the playoff zone with several teams lurking to take their spot.
Barrow won the last two encounters against Crawley, scoring five goals and conceding just one in those games, although both were at home. They will be looking to make it three straight wins over the Red Devils for the first time ever.
Team News
Klaidi Lolos has netted in Crawley's last two matches and should lead the line once again alongside Danilo Orsi-Dadomo, whose last goal was against Mansfield.
The back three should remain unchanged with Laurence Maguire, Dion Conroy and Will Wright all playing from the start.
Barrow will be without Ray who is suspended after getting sent off in their defeat to Gillingham last time out.
Cole Stockton has scored seven goals since his January loan move from Burton Albion, but was not involved in the last match.
Wild, who has seen his side fail to find the net in consecutive matches, will likely reinstate the 30-year-old back in attack alongside Dom Telford, who also sat out of the last game.
Crawley Town possible starting lineup:
Addai; Wright, Conroy, Maguire; Gordon, Williams, Tsaroulla; Darcy, Kelly; Orsi, Lolos
Barrow possible starting lineup:
Farman; Ray, Chester, Feely; Warren, Spence, Campbell, Gotts, Whitefield; Telford, Stockton
We say: Crawley Town 1-0 Barrow
Both teams are struggling for form at the moment. However, Crawley have the home advantage and a historically strong record against Barrow. We expect a close match, but the home side should narrowly edge this in the end.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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