Taste of the Terrace: Out of luck Crawley Town fail to turn chances into goals

Losing at Morecambe was no laughing matter for Crawley Town, partly because some thought that it was in the script.
Crawley Town fan and columnist Geoff Thornton SUS-150216-151358002Crawley Town fan and columnist Geoff Thornton SUS-150216-151358002
Crawley Town fan and columnist Geoff Thornton SUS-150216-151358002

It seemed easy to predict that the Reds would have the better of a dour encounter but would somehow manage to lose it at the end.

That is just what happened and it was another match Crawley could and should have won but didn’t.

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The trouble is that it was only Morecambe – a small town club with a tiny budget.

We should know how to deal with that because we are also a small town club with limited resources but additionally one bereft of luck.

If there is monotony in this column it is largely due to the fact that it is a case of ‘same old, same old’ for Reds fans.

At the Globe Arena Crawley made the early running, created some openings and but failed to finish off any of them.

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That must have been particularly galling for the enterprising Reece Grego-Cox who produced a spectacular overhead-kick that left ‘keeper Barry Roche helpless but cannoned off the crossbar.

His inventiveness should have sparked the lacklustre Ollie Palmer into greater action.

And there lies the rub. The action stats for the season confirm just how reliant Crawley have been on Palmer, not just for goals scored but also for attempts.

When he isn’t on top of his game our options are limited.

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Filipe Morais has been our number two attacker but has not regained his early season form following his injury.

Early on Ashley Nathaniel-George hinted at his striking capabilities but he had no luck and faded away.

Reds have scored 40 goals in their 40 games which is simply not enough and we must hope that Grego-Cox continues to improve as he could become a real asset up front.

That’s not the answer though as the defence remains porous. It only takes a simple slip or a moment’s lack of concentration and everything is undone.

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The wise men will always remind you that you have to score whilst you are on top.

Morecambe’s goal was a decent one – a precise cross from Zak Mills on the right and a powerful header by Liam Mandeville with just ten minutes to play.

The defence will have to ask themselves why nobody anticipated the move, thus creating the possibility of cutting out the cross.

Certainly Mandeville knew what was happening,

One change did occur as other results went against us. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

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Reds slumped a couple of places closer to the drop zone and although the points gap (and Yeovil Town’s execrable form) still offers hope we are playing as though we expect the worst.

The coaching staff need to prove their worth by getting the best out of the limited means at their disposal but I simply don’t believe they have got it in them.

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