Ahead of Tuesday's clash with Crawley, we spoke to Mark Dunford of the Crawley Observer for the latest news on Stevenage's next opponents...
- Crawley are in terrific form, having not lost since November – what has been the secret to the club’s recent success?
"I think it is down to a real unity in the squad. Since their two consecutive home defeats to Carlisle and Grimsby they haven't looked back. John Yems is a manager who is happy to tweak things if they are not working and that has played a big part. He's not a manager who sticks with one plan and is flexible with his formations, even within games. And Yems brought in a lot of new players over the summer and I think now they have all just clicked."
- What were the club’s expectations at the start of the season and has that now changed?
"The main expectation was to survive as a club - like may during this pandemic. But on the pitch it was always to improve on last year's final position. With the FA Cup run and the sale of Max Watters, finance is not an immediate issue any more so survival as a club is probably achieved. Any further progress in the FA Cup is a bonus but I think Yems and the club would be disappointed if they did not push for a play-off place."
- How are the squad looking in terms of fitness and injuries at the moment?
"The Reds have a clean bill of health at the moment as far as I am aware. Be interesting to see the squad he puts out with the FA Cup match away at Bournemouth on Saturday. Knowing John I think he will be taking Stevenage at home as serious, if not more, than Bournemouth away. Be good to see new signings Josh Wright and James Tilley involved."
- Who has been the team’s star performer this season?
"Max Watters, who joined Cardiff on Saturday, has obviously stolen all the headlines, but if it wasn't for his partnership with Ashley Nadesan and Tom Nichols, he would not have scored as many as he did. Skipper George Francomb is vital in midfield and has scored some vital goals this year while last season's player of the season Jordan Tunnicliffe looks as solid as ever and has formed a good partnership with Tony Craig in the centre of defence. Glenn Morris is once again proving why he is labelled as the best keeper in the division again."
- Finally, what’s your score prediction for Tuesday’s game?
"Barring those two defeats at home, Crawley have looked imperious at The People's Pension Stadium. But they can struggle against lower sides in the division. But that said I am going for a 2-0 home win."