Taste of the Terrace: Credit to Crawley Town's hard work to clinch draw against club with best home record League 2

I suspect you could have got good odds on Crawley Town returning from Gigg Lane other than empty handed. As it was they picked up an unexpected point from the club that boasted the best home record in the division.
Crawley Town columnist Geoff Thornton.
Picture by Steve RobardsCrawley Town columnist Geoff Thornton.
Picture by Steve Robards
Crawley Town columnist Geoff Thornton. Picture by Steve Robards

Bury are a club in good nick, if you’ll pardon the pun. We all know about Nicky Adams who is one of the best players ever to have worn a Crawley shirt while Nicky Maynard is one of the leading scorers in League Two. It suffices to say that they gave the Reds’ defence a torrid afternoon.

Once again the number of fouls awarded against Crawley was an indication of just how hard they had to work rather than of any excess of indiscipline. The game was not one for the purists, exactly as it had been at Swindon, but it was a case of needs must and you can’t help but admire the Reds’ fighting spirit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

No quarter was asked or given and there was great credit in the way the lads refused to be overcome. The hard working Glenn Morris was finally beaten in the 83rd minute by Maynard as he shook off his markers and found enough space at the far post to volley home.

Conceding a late goal might have been enough to blunt Crawley’s threat but at this stage of the season they are giving their all. It took them only four minutes to find the equaliser and shock the home fans into silence.

Substitute Ashley Nathaniel-George produced a very shrewd pass to find the run of Ollie Palmer. Despite the tight angle Palmer slotted through Joe Murphy’s legs to score a fine goal and bring off one of the results of the day.

I conjectured last week as to whether the Reds could move onwards and upwards after their win against Swindon Town. We know that facing top opposition usually brings out the best in them and maybe the proof of this particular pudding will become evident in the next home game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Saturday’s visitors Oldham Athletic are brittle and are beatable as long as we play up to par. The opportunity is there for our new signings to make an immediate impact.

Midfielder Matty Willock has joined us on loan from those other Red Devils namely Manchester United. Not many in Broadfield Stadium on Saturday will know anything much about him but no player will be part of the set up at Old Trafford for several seasons without having a number of assets on his skills sheet.

The signing from Cardiff City after the window of former loanee Ibrahim Meite will have pleased a lot of fans. He showed great promise in his first spell here with his pace and skill and he should take some of the load off Palmer.

Maybe the future just got brighter.

DID YOU SEE?