The League One match against Crewe Alexandra on 17 March 2009 was Rovers 36th league game of the 2008-09 season, and their 39th in all competitions. It was the third consecutive away game for the Pirates, who had won the previous two matches 3–0 and 5–0, meaning confidence was high. Crewe were also on a good run of form coming into the game, and the match saw two good teams cancel each other out, ending in a 1–1 draw.