Crewe Alexandra v Palace

Alexandra Stadium, Saturday 3.00pm

Crewe

Team news

HUGHES starts a two-match ban and Shaun Derry is likely to replace him in the centre of midfield.

Mikele Leigertwood remains at centre-back after Palace couldn't agree a deal to sign Mark Hudson permanently from Fulham.

Crewe's Dave Brammer and David Vaughan both have slight knee injuries but should be passed fit to play.

But boss Dario Gradi will be without goalkeeper Clayton Ince (thigh) and defender Anthony Tonkin (ankle).

Crewe Alexandra - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
16th	43	14	10	19	52

Full league table

Crewe Alexandra - current form

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
5	1	2	2	5	6

Full form table

Our away record v Crewe Alexandra

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
7	3	2	2	8	9

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
09/12/2003	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 3	Crewe Alexandra
07/04/2002	League	Crewe Alexandra	0 - 0	Crystal Palace
17/11/2001	League	Crystal Palace	4 - 1	Crewe Alexandra
31/03/2001	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 0	Crewe Alexandra
16/12/2000	League	Crewe Alexandra	1 - 1	Crystal Palace

All time results

One to watch

Dean Ashton

Crewe Alexandra's top scorer

Dean Ashton - 17 goals

Crewe Alexandra's bad boy

Justin Cochrane - 5 0

Palace old boys

None

Dean Ashton is one of the brightest talents in english football at the moment.

He has been praised many times for scoring goals that have been critical in many of crewe's amazing performances this season. Not least the two against us last November.

He is a strong and athletic forward, who possesses a powerful shot. He is also very good in the air and can play with both feet usually meaning that the defenders of the opposing team are in for a tough time.

Last meeting

Palace 1-3 Crewe Alexandra

Tuesday December 09 2003

Palace: Myhre, Edwards, Fleming (Black, 72), Symons, Borrowdale, Butterfield, Riihilahti, Derry, Routledge, Shipperley, Freedman

Subs not used: Granville, Berthelin, Watson, Hughes

Booking: Riihilahti

Goal: Butterfield 78

Crewe Alexandra: Ince, Wright, McCready (Moses, 82), Foster, Tonkin, Cochrane, Lunt, Billy Jones, Steve Jones, Ashton (Higdon, 88), Varney (Smart, 79)

Subs not used: Bankole, Robinson

Booking: Cochrane

Goals: Ashton 8, Varney 16, Ashton 86