Crawley Town win, a Max Watters hat-trick and back in the stadium - what a birthday treat!

I had hoped to be able to see the game in the stadium, the Reds to win 4-0 and Max Watters to notch a hat trick. Those wishes came so close to fulfilment.

I couldn’t begrudge the Bluebirds their two goals even if their opener came in farcical circumstances. We may not yet have a scoreboard but we do have VAR – very awful refereeing. It takes a lot of crassness to overrule a linesman’s correct flagging of a foul on the touchline in favour of a subsequent, less clear-cut decision in the penalty area.

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Ironically Glenn Morris saved Josh Kay’s spot kick only for the Barrow man to follow up and score. That was the equaliser and the next goal put the visitors ahead. Our marking at a corner was questionable but Sam Hird’s glancing header at the near post was perfection. Barrow looked a strong side and they were very quick but they didn’t have Max Watters.

The Reds’ striker is in blistering form, with a reported minutes per goal record that is the best in the country. Three more in a rare full 90 minutes won’t have harmed that statistic. His first, despite the close attentions of two defenders, was struck in text book fashion under keeper Joel Dixon.

His second that made it 2-2 was a simple far post tap in but it was only simple because of his uncanny knack of being Johnny on the spot. I have likened his precise finishing to Matt Tubbs but his predatory goal poaching reminds me of Jimmy Greaves and I can’t think of a better compliment.

The icing on Watters’ cake owed everything to the unselfish Ashley Nadesan who could see the goal looming on a stoppage time breakaway. He might have scored himself but I am certain knew that his team mate definitely would – and so he did.

Don’t get the idea that Crawley Town have become a one man band as they are very much a team. John Yems often refers to his squad but he has a team in the fullest sense of the word and they realise it helps everybody to make full use of their in-form target man.

Another man at the top of his game at the moment is David Sesay who pressurised the visitors with his wing back raids. Tom Nichols worked as hard as ever and scored nervelessly from the spot when some were clamouring for Watters to attempt his hat trick.

The defence was generally tight and the midfield gained full control in the second half. All in all it was a great birthday treat.