The weekend is almost upon us in Sky Bet League Two and we've got you covered with our pre-match stat pack...
Crewe Alexandra v Salford City
- This will be Crewe’s second ever home game against Salford in League Two; they won the first 4-1 in September 2019.
- Salford have won both of their last two league games against Crewe, home wins in December 2019 (3-1) and August 2022 (3-0).
- Crewe are unbeaten in their last six league games (W1 D5), drawing each of their previous four fixtures; the Railwaymen last drew five on the bounce in October 2010, which is also their joint-longest run in the Football League.
- Salford have avoided defeat in each of their last three league games (W2 D1), only in their opening four games of the 2022-23 campaign have they enjoyed a longer unbeaten run this season (W3 D1).
Barrow v Sutton United
- All three League Two games between Barrow and Sutton United have finished as 1-0 wins for the side playing at home.
- Barrow vs Sutton United could become the first fixture in Football League history to see each of the first four meetings between the two sides finish as 1-0 wins to the home team, should Barrow win 1-0.
- Barrow have taken as many points in their last four league games (10 – W3 D1) as they did in their previous 14 (W2 D4 L8), with no side scoring more than one goal in each of their last seven league fixtures (5 for, 4 against).
- Sutton are unbeaten in their previous three league games on their travels (W2 D1), they’ve never enjoyed a longer unbeaten run in the Football League, and could win successive away league games for the first time since November 2021.
Colchester United v Stockport County
- This will be Colchester’s first Football League home game against Stockport County since a 2-0 win in November 2009; the U’s have won each of their last five such meetings on home turf.
- Stockport County are looking to complete a double over Colchester United in a Football League season for the first time in their history, with this the 24th different Football League campaign in which the two sides have faced.
- Colchester have failed to score in each of their last four league games (D1 L3), losing on each of the last three occasions; they haven’t gone five successive league fixtures without scoring since March 2021.
- Stockport have lost three of their last six away league games (W2 D1), having gone unbeaten in the previous six (W5 D1), while all eight of their away league defeats in 2022-23 have been by a one-goal margin.
Crawley Town v Harrogate Town
- The five previous League Two games between Crawley Town and Harrogate Town have both seen just one win each for either side (D3).
- Harrogate are unbeaten in their two previous League Two visits to Crawley (W1 D1), scoring five goals across the two trips.
- Crawley have conceded at least two goals in each of their last five home league games (13 in total – W1 D1 L3), as many as in their first 10 such games of the season (W5 D1 L4), while their last four home league games have averaged 4.8 goals per game (8 goals for, 11 goals against).
- Harrogate have won only one of their previous eight League Two games played on a Saturday (D3 L4); though each of their last two such wins have come away from home against Rochdale in December (4-1) and Carlisle in February (1-0).
Doncaster Rovers v AFC Wimbledon
- Doncaster have won just once in their last seven league meetings with AFC Wimbledon (D3 L3), a 2-0 home win in January 2021.
- Both teams have scored in five of the last six league matches between Doncaster and AFC Wimbledon, with the last two both finishing as 2-2 draws.
- Doncaster’s Tommy Rowe has scored four goals in five Football League appearances against AFC Wimbledon, averaging a goal every 94 minutes against the Dons – against no other side has he scored more Football League goals.
- AFC Wimbledon have lost each of their last three games, conceding three goals in each of the previous two; the Dons haven’t conceded 3+ goals in three successive Football League games since October 2011.
Gillingham v Tranmere Rovers
- Gillingham last faced Tranmere at home in league competition in April 2014, a 2-0 win in League One with goals from Bradley Dack and Cody McDonald.
- Tranmere’s 3-0 win over Gillingham in this season’s reverse fixture was their biggest ever Football League victory over the Gills, in what was their 36th such meeting.
- Gillingham have won four of their five home league games in 2023 (L1), two more points than they’d won in their first 11 such games (W2 D4 L5), although their only loss in this recent five-game run was last time out against Bradford last month, losing 2-0.
- Only Kane Hemmings (11) has been involved in more league goals for Tranmere this season than Josh Hawkes (9 – 8 goals, 1 assists), with no player scoring more than him. Indeed, he’s already equalled his goal involvement tally in the league for the entirety of 2021-22 (6 goals, 3 assists).
Grimsby Town v Rochdale
- Grimsby Town are looking to do a double over Rochdale in a Football League season for the first time since 1978-79, having won this season’s reverse clash 1-0 in August.
- Rochdale last visited Grimsby Town in the Football League in October 2009, winning 2-0 after strikes from Adam Rundle and Chris O'Grady.
- Grimsby have as many victories in League Two in 2023 as they do against sides in the top three divisions on English football in all competitions (3), with the Mariners winning only one of their last seven league games (D3 L3).
- Rochdale ended a nine-game winless run last time out, beating Stevenage 2-0; the Dale have only won consecutive games once in League Two this season, with victories over Newport and Barrow in October.
Hartlepool United v Northampton Town
- Hartlepool have won four of their last five home Football League games against Northampton (D1) since a 0-1 defeat in February 2008.
- Northampton are hoping to complete a Football League double over Hartlepool for the first time since the 1996-97 season, having won this season’s reverse fixture 2-1 in August.
- Four of the last eight league goals Hartlepool have conceded have been from set pieces (1x free kick, 2x corner, 1x penalty), as many as in their previous 18 goals they’d conceded in the competition.
- No side’s League Two games in 2023 have seen fewer goals scored than Northampton, with 17 being scored in their 11 league fixtures since the turn of the year (9 goals for, 8 goals against).
Mansfield Town v Leyton Orient
- Mansfield won this exact fixture last season 2-0; the Stags last won back-to-back Football League home games versus Leyton Orient in October 2001.
- Leyton Orient won this season’s reverse fixture against Mansfield 1-0 in August, and last completed a Football League double over the Stags in 2019-20.
- Mansfield have won four of their last five league games (L1), scoring at least two goals on every occasion (13 in total) - their only defeat however did come at home in their last such game, losing 5-2 against Salford.
- Leyton Orient have won only one of their last seven league games away from home (D3 L3), with four of their five league losses in 2022-23 coming on their travels.
Newport County v Bradford City
- Newport are unbeaten in their last three home league games against Bradford City (W2 D1), last losing at home to the Bantams in the Football League in April 1985 (0-1).
- Bradford City are looking to complete a Football League double over Newport County for the first time since 1984-85, having won this season’s reverse meeting 2-0 in August.
- Only Gillingham (8) have failed to score in more home games in League Two this season than Newport (7), while the Exiles could lose successive home league games for the first time since September 2022.
- Bradford manager Mark Hughes has only lost three of his previous 16 English league games against sides from Wales (W7 D6), with two of those defeats coming away from home in May 2015 and April 2017 (both 2-0 defeats to Swansea as Stoke manager).
Stevenage v Walsall
- Stevenage have never lost at home to Walsall in the Football League (P5 W3 D2 L0); only versus Hartlepool (7) have the Boro faced a side more times at home in the top four tiers without ever losing.
- Walsall have won just one of their last seven league games versus Stevenage (D4 L2), a 1-0 victory in August 2021.
- Stevenage have lost more times in the last six games (W1 D1 L4) than they did in their first 27 league fixtures of the season (W16 D8 L3). Indeed, Boro have lost each of their last two home league games, the first time they’ve lost consecutively there since April (run of five).
- Only Crewe (9) have drawn more League Two away games this season than Walsall (8), with the Saddlers drawing four of their last five such fixtures (L1).
Swindon Town v Carlisle United
- Swindon have only lost one of their last five league meetings with Carlisle (W2 D2), although that was this exact fixture last season, a 2-1 defeat in August 2021.
- After winning just one of their first 20 Football League away games at Swindon (D11 L8), Carlisle have since won two of their last three (L1), and could win back-to-back such trips for the very first time.
- Swindon’s Jacob Wakeling has scored two goals in his last three league games, while he has 12 goals involvements in League Two this season (7 goals, 5 assists), no player aged 21 or under has more in the division this season.
- Following a run of three league games without a win (D1 L2), Carlisle have won each of their last three fixtures, while each of their last nine goals in the competition coming from eight different players, with only Alfie McCalmont scoring more than once (2).
