‘As long as he learns from it’ – Crawley Town manager asks for young defender to learn from red card

Crawley Town manager Rob Elliot has praised Josh Flint despite his sending off in the 5-3 defeat to Shrewsbury Town.

John Marquis put the away team ahead before Will Swan equalised seven minutes later after a deflected Armando Quitirna shot hit the crossbar and the striker was in the right place at the right time.

11 minutes into the second half, Flint was sent off having received two bookings in the space of three minutes, downgrading Crawley to 10 men.

This did not hold them back right away as Quitirna put the hosts in the lead after a great cross from Harry Forster found him at the back post as he fired it into the back of the net, but the 10 men of Crawley soon started to struggle as 10 minutes later, Toto Nsiala scored from close range before Marquis won and scored a penalty.

George Lloyd scored two quick goals to put the game out of reach for the Reds, but a Jeremy Kelly free kick at the end of the game gave something for the home fans to cheer about on a disappointing day for the Sussex outfit.

The Josh Flint red card was the second Crawley sending off this season, after Jack Roles got sent off against Brighton in the Carabao cup second round match, but even though it may have cost the Reds the game, Elliot was in praise for the young defender.

He said: “I’m not going to criticise Flinty; he gets caught and he's got learn got to develop. He’s only young but ever since he’s been here, he has been superb, his attitude, his qualities, he’s a leader and is still young and developing.

“He will make mistakes in this scenario which has cost us as we have gone down to 10 and playing a team who get the ball wide and put it into the box and we lose the ability to stop them doing that.

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“It doesn’t change the fact that whether we have 10 or 11 we need to be better individually. Lots of positives up until the sending off but other things we need to work on.”

Flint has been a key part of this Crawley team after he signed from Eredivisie side FC Volendam at the start if the season, and as good as the young defender has been this season, his manager thinks he can get better.

Elliot said: “All I can ask Flinty to do is learn from that situation and make sure he doesn’t allow himself to get into it again.

“I’m not going to criticise Flinty because he’s played every minute of every game, he gives absolutely everything for the cause, he’s a fantastic lad, fantastic character, and he’s going to be a very good footballer, although he is a very good footballer he is going to get even better.

“As long as he learns from it, as I know he will be gutted and frustrated, we’ll get him back on the pitch and he’ll make us better.”

The red card means that Flint will now have to serve a one match suspension, meaning that he will miss next week’s away tie against Reading.