Crawley Town boss issues warning to his players after defeat to Stockport County

Stockport beat the Reds convincingly thanks to goals from Will Collar and Macauley Southam-Halls in the first half despite Jojo Wollacott’s best efforts to deny them.

Crawley were more resolute in the second half with a much-improved display – especially defensively – but couldn’t muster any attacking creativity to rock the hosts’ comfortable lead.

The loss leaves the Reds one place and one point off the bottom of League One.

Manager Elliot warned his players they had to stop getting off to slow starts. He said: “We just didn’t turn up for 45 minutes, yet again we wait until we go 1-0 down to want to start playing.

“We got bullied; we got outrun. Ultimately the league position is the league position for a reason, we have to do the other stuff to even compete on the football side and Stockport gave us a lesson on how to do that.

“That’s what I’m expecting and what we will see going forward in terms of team selection and players – because if you’re not all in on this and willing to give everything then it doesn’t matter how much ability you have it doesn’t count, it’s irrelevant.”

The manager doesn’t put the defeat down to players not putting in the effort, but does insist that there needs to be a mentality change at the club to see results turn in their favour.

Elliot said: “We need to have more of a ruthless mentality, we need to try to win every moment of the game and at the moment we just do it when it suits us when it’s nice and we can move the ball – but when the ball turns over or we get a little bit of pressure we’re not willing to do the horrible stuff.

“We just need a group of lads now that just give absolutely everything and follow the instructions they are given because that’s the only way you do it – through togetherness and understanding, we have one direction, and we all follow it because I genuinely believe if we all do that, we will be absolutely fine.”

With results elsewhere in the relegation battle going against the Reds the task to stay up in League One has become a bit harder but Elliot doesn’t think those results will matter.

He said: “It’s a bit irrelevant what the other teams do because we have to win a set amount of games to survive – it won’t make a blind bit of difference if we can’t perform and get points – so unless we are willing to go out there and put everything on the line then it doesn’t matter what other clubs, do if we don’t do it ourselves.”

The Reds are back on the road on Tuesday, travelling to mid-table Mansfield.