CREWE Alexandra are set to field their fifth different goalkeeper of the season in tomorrow’s FA Cup clash against York City at Bootham Crescent.

Experienced former Bristol City shot-stopper Steve Phillips, who has previously played in the Championship, has been signed by the Railwaymen and is expected to replace Adam Legzdins in the visitors’ starting line-up.

Legzdins and Steve Collis have both suffered poor spells of form this season, leading to Crewe bringing in on-loan pair David Button and Adam Bogdan, who have since returned to their respective parent clubs of Tottenham and Bolton.

The Alex are now poised to turn to 31-year-old Phillips, who has arrived on loan from Bristol Rovers following a temporary spell with Shrewsbury after Frenchman Bertrand Bossu, formerly of Aberdeen, Gillingham and Barnet, asked to be released from his two-month contract just six days after signing for the Gresty Road club.

Crewe legend Dario Gradi, back in charge after the sacking of Gudjohn Thordarson in early October, has recruited Phillips in a bid to stop the flow of goals conceded by the Cheshire club this season.

Before Saturday’s 4-0 victory at Cheltenham, the 15th-placed Railwaymen had not managed a clean sheet in 11 matches since three successive shut-outs against Grimsby, Darlington and Hereford back in August.

In fact, only bottom five outfits Grimsby (30), Morecambe (29), Cheltenham (28) and Darlington (26) have conceded more League Two goals this term with ex-Blue Square Premier players John Brayford, Patrick Ada and Mat Mitchel-King all current members of the Railwaymen’s backline.

At the other end of the pitch, though, with a total of 25 league goals, Crewe have outscored leaders Bournemouth and only top-four teams Notts County (32), Rochdale (28) and Dagenham and Redbridge (28) boast higher tallies.

Furthermore, on their travels, only second-placed Rochdale can match the Alex’s record of 15 goals from eight fixtures.

Calvin Zola’s free-scoring form has been a key factor in that statistic and only Bury have won more away games in the division with Crewe having beaten Grimsby (4-0), Darlington (1-0), Bradford (3-2) and Cheltenham (4-0) on the road.

The 6ft 3in forward, aged 24, is currently enjoying the most prolific spell of his career, having netted 12 times in 16 outings, already annihilating his best haul for a whole season, set back in 2003/4 when he managed seven on loan at Oldham from first club Newcastle United.

Zaire-born Zola, who was signed from Tranmere in a £200,000 deal last summer, is expected to be partnered in attack by Shaun Miller rather than former City striker Clayton Donaldson, who is only two games into his comeback from a broken leg injury.

Youth-team graduate Miller has only scored twice this season although Donaldson has not hit the target since February during a 19-match barren run and has just seven goals in 51 appearances to his name following his arrival at Gresty Road from Hibernian last August.

The ex-Hull City reserve is expected to be on the bench though, as at Cheltenham where he played the last ten minutes.

But former Stevenage striker Anthony Elding will not figure after completing a loan move to Kettering. Midfielder Steve Schumacher could also miss out with a groin strain with one-time Leeds United midfielder Simon Walton, currently on loan from Plymouth but yet to start under Gradi, on standby to deputise.

On-loan Leicester defender Harry Worley is the only definite absentee due to injury.

Bookmakers should be offering long odds on a replay with Crewe not drawing any of their 17 league and cup fixtures this season.

All the Railwaymen’s six victories have also come against teams outside League Two’s top 11 while they had lost seven of their previous eight games before Saturday’s win at Cheltenham.

Crewe (probable): Phillips, Brayford, Ada, Mitchel-King, Shelley, Bailey, Walton, Westwood, Grant, Zola, Miller. Subs: Donaldson, O’Donnell, Legzdins, Jones, Moore, Murphy, Tootle.

Match facts

City’s last appearance in the first round of the FA Cup was in 2007/8 when on November 10, 2007, they entertained Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville and lost 1-0.

Their other first round appearances since dropping out of the Football League in 2004 have been in 2005/6 when they lost at home to Grays Athletic 3-0 and the following campaign when League One side Bristol City won 1-0 at York.

City last progressed to the second round in 2002/3. They beat Swansea City 2-1 at the first stage at Bootham Crescent with Peter Duffield scoring both goals.

The line-up for that tie on November 26, 2002, was: Fettis, Edmondson, Potter, Brass, Smith, Hobson, Brackstone, Bullock, Nogan, Duffield, Parkin.

It happened on November 7

• 1964: A 2-1 home win over Wrexham with Paul Aimson and Andy Provan the scorers. The crowd was 4,225 and City were sixth in Division Four.

• 1981: Keith Walwyn (2) and Gary Ford were the scorers in a 3-0 win at Scunthorpe United, but City remained in the lower reaches of Division Four (now League Two). Making his debut for the club that day was Malcolm Crosby.

• 1987: Ian Helliwell scored his first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw against Bury watched by 2,641. City were bottom of the Third Division (League One).

• 1992: A Bootham Crescent crowd of 6,425 saw Barnet beaten 2-0 with Paul Barnes and Nigel Pepper (penalty) on target. City continued to lead the way in Division Three (League Two).

Compiled by Dave Batters