Stevenage return to The Lamex Stadium for the final match of 2022 as Crawley come to town…
Stevenage currently sit inside the automatic promotion places in Sky Bet League Two and will be looking for their tenth home league win of the season to end the year on a high note.
Boro’s most recent fixture was live on Sky Sports earlier this week as a hard-fought battle with league leaders Leyton Orient ended goalless.
After a solid mid-table finish last campaign, Crawley have really struggled for form this season. The side from West Sussex currently sit 20th in Sky Bet League Two after winning just five league games from twenty-two, losing eleven. The Red Devils have failed to pick up a league victory away from home so far this campaign, earning just five points away from The Broadfield Stadium.
Crawley’s Boxing Day fixture ended in a 2-1 defeat at home to local rivals Sutton United, despite a late consolation goal from former Boro loanee Aramide Oteh. The Red Devils’ top scorer this season is Ashley Nadesan who has six goals and five assists to his name.
Crawley are currently in search for their third permanent manager of the season. They started the campaign under the reigns of former Arsenal U23s Manager Kevin Betsy. Betsy was relieved of his duties in October and was temporarily replaced by Lewis Young who won four games from ten, losing just three. Eventually, Crawley appointed Matthew Etherington as First Team Manager who departed earlier this week after just three games in charge.
Boro and The Red Devils are extremely familiar with each other, having met on thirty-four occasions in the past. Stevenage currently boast a 50% win-record against The West Sussex side. The first league meeting between the two clubs was in 2004 as Anthony Elding’s goal awarded Stevenage a 1-0 victory on home soil.
After numerous non-league battles, the two sides met again in The Football League in 2012 and have come up against each other every season since, bar one. Boro’s highest scoring victory over Crawley in The Football League came in the 2018/19 campaign as Alex Reid’s header was boosted by Alex Revell’s late brace to secure a 3-1 victory in West Sussex.
Stevenage are undefeated against Crawley in the last five meetings. This season’s reverse fixture ended in Boro’s favour as goals from Jordan Roberts and Luke Norris wrapped up a 2-1 victory.
Robert Lewis has been appointed Match Referee for this fixture with Andy Bennett and Leigh Crowhurst as Assistants, and Declan Bourne as Fourth Official. Lewis took charge of last season’s away fixture against Crawley, in which Arthur Read and Scott Cuthbert contributed to a 2-2 draw.
