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Five things: Storylines to look out for this weekend

10 November 2017

On The Hill and on form

After a difficult start to their inaugural EFL campaign, Forest Green Rovers's results have started to pick up of late, so much so in fact that boss Mark Cooper found himself in the running for October's Manager of the Month award.

Cooper missed out on the gong, but his primary concern will be on getting a fourth successive three-point haul this weekend, when they make the journey to Crawley Town, who are winless in four EFL outings.

The hosts regularly got the better of Rovers when the pair were doing battle in the National League, winning six and drawing one of the seven battles in West Sussex. Will the Reds be able to flip the form book and keep that record alive?

Monthly award winners

The October award winners have been announced, and three of them are in action this weekend after successfully carrying their form into the opening weekend of November.

Graham Carey, Plymouth Argyle's midfield maestro, was named Sky Bet League One Player of the Month, and his purple patch continued with the match-winning goal against Grimsby Town in the FA Cup last week. Up next, Bradford City.

League Two Manager of the Month Nathan Jones guided Luton Town to a 1-0 win over higher-tier Portsmouth in the Cup last Saturday, and it's a trip to Cheltenham Town this time out for the Hatters.

Last but not least, Port Vale's Tom Pope was named League Two's Player of the Month, and he continued his goalscoring exploits in Friday night's shock Cup win over Oxford United. Vale are involved in Friday's solitary game this weekend, travelling to Newport County.

Sky Sports double-header

The Sky Sports cameras are off to South Yorkshire first up this weekend, with the League One clash between Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United being screened live on Saturday lunchtime.

Rovers have put three past the Millers on each of their last two home outings, although those meetings came way back in 2006 and 2007. James Coppinger was, of course, still in the hosts' starting line-up!

The second showing comes on Sunday afternoon, when AFC Wimbledon welcome Peterborough United to Kingsmeadow. Last season saw the pair meet for the first time, with Posh unable to find the net in either league fixture, losing 1-0 at home and drawing 0-0 on the road.

Taking care of things

Two teams in League One's bottom three go head-to-head this weekend, with neither Gillingham or Bury having a permanent manager at the helm.

Steve Lovell has impressed during his interim spell leading the Gills, earning an October Manager of the Month nomination in the process, while Bury caretaker Ryan Lowe's is yet to take charge of the club in an EFL fixture.

The Priestfield hasn't treated the Shakers well in recent years, failing to win in nine visits dating back to 1992. The last time they grabbed a point here was in 2011, when Lowe grabbed a second-half equaliser.

Milestone meetings

Saturday afternoon's League Two fixture between Crewe Alexandra and Lincoln City will be the 100th between the pair, dating all the way back to the 1892/93 season.

It's the first clash since the Imps' relegation in 2011, and the last three meetings have all finished one goal apiece - just as it did in that maiden meeting on Boxing Day 125 years ago.

There's another landmark game at the County Ground this weekend, where Swindon Town and Chesterfield face off for the 50th time. The Robins lead the head-to-head, but the visitors did the double in the two League One fixtures last term.


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