Crawley Town v AFC Wimbledon: 'We are fully aware of the magnitude of the game' - Reds boss Betsy looks ahead to derby

The Reds will be looking to pick up their first league win of the season against their local rivals, who they haven’t faced in the league since a 1-0 defeat in April 2016.

They last match saw Crawley triumph 2-1 in the FA Cup – a win which set up their famous tie against Leeds United in 2021.

AFC Wimbledon were relegated from League One last season and have made a steady start to this season, losing only one of their first four games.

And Betsy is confident his side can get a good result on Saturday following a good performance – despite a 3-2 defeat – against Northampton Town on Tuesday night.

Betsy said: “We have reviewed the game from Tuesday and obviously the players are disappointed with the result but we are really pleased as a group with the way we played and performed.

“The players know if they play like that, more often than not they will come away with a result.

“It hurt, especially to lose in that fashion, especially the way we played in the second half but it will even itself out over the course of the season.

“The performances in the last few games have been encouraging.

“If we had been playing not so well and lost, that would be a concern, but we have been playing well.

“We have reviewed the performance and we will be fully prepped for Wimbledon.”

And he knows how important this game is for the Crawley Town fans.

He said: “We are fully aware of the magnitude of the game from the supporters’ perspective .

"There will be no stone unturned in terms of our preparation. But most important our application, intensity and how we go about this game will be there for all to see . We will give 110 per cent for the cause and I think we can have a really good result.”

And he knows how important the fans are in giving his side a lift.

He said: “We want to be on the front foot, we want to be aggressive, that’s how we play and that’s not changed since the first game of pre-season.

"We know level of importance of the game but every level of detail is the same as every other game. From the players’ perspective they will feel the noise of the stadium and it will give them extra.

"It’s then up to the players to ensure they give the crowd even more voice to push us over the line.”

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