Separated by just two points in the bottom half of the League One table, Peterborough United and Crawley Town square off at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Darren Ferguson's men went down 2-1 to Northampton United in Monday night's fixture, while their visitors' proposed encounter with Stevenage fell victim to Storm Darragh.
Match preview
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The travelling Peterborough crowd rocking up to Northampton would have been anticipating a show from their side against one of the nine teams ranked lower than them, but they were instead forced to watch the Cameron McGeehan show at Sixfields Stadium.
Indeed, Northampton's midfield maestro struck twice either side of a Malik Mothersille leveller to condemn Peterborough to their third straight loss in League One, prolonging the Posh's wait for their next league win since November's 6-1 slaughter of Cambridge United.
An enthralling 4-3 FA Cup beating of Notts County is all that Ferguson's side have had to cheer since the last international break of 2024, and three successive defeats in League One have plunged them down to 15th in the standings, just two points clear of the drop zone.
Peterborough have already experienced one four-game losing run in the third tier this year - they lost a quartet of consecutive League One games in February - and home is not where the heart is whatsoever for Ferguson's defence.
The Posh have taken a respectable 14 points from their 10 home matches in the 2024-25 campaign, but they have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 13 League One matches at Weston Homes Stadium since shutting out Port Vale in April.
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Thirteen may very well become 14 for Peterborough on Saturday, as a rejuvenated Crawley have had over a week to recover from their last successful jaunt on the road, which came against mid-table Charlton Athletic on December 3.
Bouncing back from their 4-3 FA Cup exit at home to Lincoln City, Rob Elliot's men had goals from Tola Showunmi and Max Anderson to thank for their slender success at The Valley, one which puts them on the brink of clambering out of the relegation zone.
The 21st-placed visitors are just one point below Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United, and such is the congested nature of the rankings that they are only four points adrift of recent foes Charlton, who lie smack-bang in the middle of the table in 12th spot.
After losing three straight League One matches from September 21 to October 19, Crawley have now gone unbeaten in five straight third-tier games, a winter renaissance that has also seen them concede just once in their last three contests away from home.
However, not since March 2014 have the Red Devils managed to conquer Peterborough, losing each of their last four matches against the Posh in all competitions, including a 2-1 EFL Trophy last-16 defeat in January.
Team News
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Peterborough scorer Mothersille was promoted to the first XI against Northampton thanks to an injury to star man Kwame Poku, who is expected to spend as long as three months in the treatment room after undergoing hamstring surgery.
In brighter news, the Posh should have goalkeeper Jed Steer back in the ranks for the visit of Crawley; the 32-year-old was hopeful of returning from a knee injury on Monday only to have his comeback delayed by illness.
Steer's likely return could therefore force Nicholas Bilokapic back down to the bench; the 22-year-old has failed to keep a clean sheet in any of his six League One appearances this season.
Regarding Crawley's availability, Toby Mullarkey is back in the ranks after missing the win over Charlton through suspension, so Benjamin Tanimu's brief spell in the starting lineup could come to an end.
Goalkeeper Ryan Sandford is still months away from making his comeback from an ankle injury, but Joe Wollacott remains the undisputed first choice in between the sticks, keeping Chelsea loanee Eddie Beach at bay.
Elliot has also confirmed that Dion Conroy and Junior Quitirna are both back in full training, although he has refused to guarantee that they will be ready to play this weekend.
Peterborough United possible starting lineup:
Steer; Dornelly, Katongo, Fernandez, Sparkes; Kyprianou, Collins; Hayes, Randall, Mothersille; Jones
Crawley Town possible starting lineup:
Wollacott; Mullarkey, Barker, Mukena; Darcy, Kamara, Kelly, Anderson, Adeyemo; Showunmi, Swan
We say: Peterborough United 1-1 Crawley Town
While Peterborough's defending at home has left a lot to be desired, Crawley Town have developed a streak of resilience on the road of late and have also had more time to recover from their most recent exploits.
On paper, a Posh triumph might be expected, but we are struggling to back Ferguson's side with any real confidence and can instead anticipate a tense draw between the two clubs.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
