Crawley Town find it hard going but worthwhile - opinion

Crawley Town’s first three points are in the bag after they defeated Scunthorpe United by the only goal of the game and possibly the empty stadium was a blessing in disguise as the match was hardly a classic.
Tom Nichols' precise finish gave Reds the winTom Nichols' precise finish gave Reds the win
Tom Nichols' precise finish gave Reds the win

It was certainly a tight game as the Reds showed the right spirit to hold on to their early advantage despite the visitors looking overall the stronger side.

The Iron proved very purposeful opponents and like Port Vale in the opening fixture they appeared a better side all round. But they were deficient in attack and, although Myles Hippolyte hit a rasping drive that grazed the outside of an upright, a tame shot straight at Glenn Morris was the sum total of their efforts on target.

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That poor return was partly due to a much improved display by Tony Craig who showed why John Yems was so keen to bring him to the club. The other good thing, the one that made the team’s strenuous efforts over 90 minutes worthwhile, was Crawley’s superb winning goal.

Nathan Ferguson started the move with a defence splitting pass to Tyler Frost wide on the left. He crossed low first time through the crowded area picking out Tom Nichols whose precise finish left visiting keeper Rory Watson helpless.

Unfortunately Crawley couldn’t build on their 15th minute lead partly because the front men received limited service but also because the manager’s team selection had been hampered by late injuries to both Ashley Nadesan and Sam Ashford. A re-jigged attack was not his main problem though.

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As in the opening fixture the Reds lacked any genuine quality and their passing was even worse than at Vale Park. Nobody disappointed more than hard working skipper George Francomb and the match stats made awful reading. Nathan Ferguson started superbly but drifted inconsistently while his team mates who shared in Crawley’s goal both became less effective as the game wore on.

The win could make all the difference to what happens in Crawley’s next fixture away against Oldham Athletic. They should be gaining a belief of what they can achieve and as the Latics have made an indifferent start to the campaign another gritty showing might just be enough to end the Reds’ dismal sequence of results on the road.

The manager is fully aware that it will take a while for the newcomers to gel with the rest of the squad but if determination is shown by each of them I am sure he would happily take that for starters.

The opportunity is there for Crawley to achieve a solid start as their next home game is against bottom of the table Southend United. They have been weakened by financial troubles and could yet go the way of Macclesfield Town.

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