Crewe Alexandra will be aiming to progress to the second round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon as they host League One opposition in the form of Derby County.
The hosts have had a good start to their league campaign and currently find themselves sitting in 5th place in the league Two table. The Railwaymen have gained 29 points from their 16 league games, following eight wins, five draws and just three defeats.
Crewe come into this game in a rich vein of form which has seen them win three of their last four outings in the league. This run has included victories over Harrogate, Crawley and Tranmere.
Crewe Alexandra's best performance in the FA Cup was in the 1887-88 season, when they reached the semi-finals. They beat Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers, and Blackburn Rovers in the first three rounds, before defeating Preston North End 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Derby come into this game on the back of a mixed run of form that has seen them slip down into 7th position in the league One table. The Rams have gained 24 points from their 15 league outings following seven wins, three draws and five defeats.
The Rams featured in midweek league action as they recorded a morale-boosting 4-0 victory over Northampton town. A brace from Max Bird plus goals from Conor Washington and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing cemented an extremely impressive win for the Rams under the lights.
Derby County's best performance in the FA Cup was in 1946, when they won the competition. They beat Charlton Athletic 4-1 in the final, which was the first FA Cup final to be played after World War II.
The fixture of Crewe vs Derby has a long and storied history, with the two sides first meeting in 1888 in the FA Cup, a game which Crewe won 1-0. In total, the two sides have met on fourteen occasions in competitive situations, with Crewe having won 5, Derby having won 6 and there being 3 draws.
These two sides have not met each other in over a decade, with the last meeting coming in the league Cup in 2010. On that occasion, it was Crewe who recorded a slender 1-0 victory.
Unsurprisingly, given the disparity in leagues between these two sides, it is Derby who come into this game as heavy favourites and are currently priced @ ¾ to record a victory, whilst Crewe are priced @ 3/1 and a draw is @ 5/2.
We are backing Derby County to win to nil as they have shown some impressive defensive prowess in recent weeks. The Rams have only conceded one goal in their last three league outings.