- Grimsby form: Grimsby Town have won three of their last five League Two matches, including their last two.
- Crawley form: Crawley Town have lost one of their last five League Two games (W1, D3, L1).
- Head-to-head: Crawley Town have won two of the last three head-to-head meetings between the sides.
Grimsby have momentum
Grimsby Town have made a strong fist of their promotion push, winning back-to-back games to sit eighth in League Two with 62 points from 38 games so far. Crawley Town are 21st with 34 points from 40, and while they are unbeaten in three at home (W1, D2), Grimsby have not won any of their last two away games at Crawley.
Tactics and identity
David Artell took over as Mariner’s manager in November of 2023, and has since brought a clear identity to the club, a high-energy, high-pressing 4-3-3 system that has seen them score 6 goals and concede just once in their last two League Two fixtures, including a 5-0 thrashing of Barrow.
Key players
- Kieran Green has been a key man for the Mariners, scoring three of their last ten goals and providing a midfield spark to their offense.
- Jaze Kabia has provided the bulk of the firepower from Grimsby’s attack, however, scoring 12 goals in 38 appearances in League Two this term.
Crawley are in transition
System and recent change
Scott Lindsey built a solid Crawley Town team around a three at the back system with overloading wing-backs, a number 10 and a target man, and plenty of structured play in possession. The Red Devils have played some of their best soccer of the campaign in the few weeks since Lindsey was relieved of his duties, but the arrival of Colin Kazim-Richards has yet to be fully felt, and may well bring about a more pragmatic approach.
Key forward
Crawley’s most prolific goal scorer in League Two this season, Harry McKirdy, has six goals in 28 league games this campaign, making him their main threat from the front. Kazim-Richards will need to get up to speed quickly if he’s to get the best out of this group, and this fixture is likely to be a real test of his credentials.
The verdict
Grimsby have a strong chance of promotion, but Crawley’s home form has been solid of late, making the 2.15 price on an away win look very fair. Artell has had plenty of time to work with this group, and the results are there to see - Grimsby are scoring and conceding an average of 1.28 goals on the road in League Two this campaign, and they’re likely to be too strong for a Crawley side going through a managerial transition.
The high-tempo pressing style that the Mariners utilise can disrupt Crawley’s play out from the back, while their recent results suggest that they are likely to make it three wins in a row on Monday.
