Crawley Town will have to be at their best against Chesterfield, says Scott Lindsey

The Reds gained another positive result against a side pushing for promotion last time out, holding MK Dons to a 0-0 draw at Stadium MK on Tuesday night.

In the reverse fixture of Saturday’s game at the SMH Group Stadium, a Harry McKirdy brace put Crawley two ahead inside 36 minutes, but the Spireites fought back after the break to earn a 2-2 draw.

Lindsey said: “When we look back at when we played them at their place, we drew the game and potentially could have won it. If you remember, Kaheim Dixon went through in a real big chance and potentially we could have come away with all three points.

“I'm confident with the way the team are performing, certainly after Tuesday night's game. I thought we were really good against a good side. Some games we haven't been great against the teams at the top - Bromley and Cambridge, I recall.

“But there's been teams when we have played well, such as Swindon, MK Dons and such. I'm hopeful that we'll recover the lads from Tuesday really well and prepare for another training session tomorrow and prepare the lads to go again.”

The draw midweek was a big improvement on the disappointing 2-0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park just three days before.

“I felt what happened on Tuesday night was every single player reached the levels that they can reach,” Lindsey said. “Therefore, that gives us a chance in the game.”

He added: “We didn't probably create that many clear cuts, but I thought we were the better team in the game.

“When you go to MK Dons and play the way we played and come away with a point and a clean sheet, you can only build on that and be happy with that.”

The Reds’ boss picked out the opposition players that could cause his side the most bother at the weekend.

“They don't come any easier,” he said. “You play MK Dons away and now we're playing Chesterfield at home - tough game.

“They're having a good season. They're obviously in the play-off positions and when I look at their team, I think they've got some real good players, good attacking threats. Will Grigg at the top of the pitch and [Liam] Mandeville behind, and [Armando] Dobra and [Dilan] Markanday in the wide areas are a real attacking threat - they've got goals in them.

“A couple of really good midfield players behind them - Sammy Braybrooke and Ryan Stirk can really handle the ball and of course at the back they've got some real experience, so they're a really capable team. We've got to be at our best. It's a game I'm looking forward to.”

Despite failing to score, the Reds have registered 28 shots in the last two games against Tranmere Rovers and MK Dons, hinting at a more direct approach.

Lindsey said: “It seems to be every time I analyse an opposition, I always look back at their goals conceded from their last 10 games and there's always a pattern. Normally in League Two, it's box entries and goals from the D, and then we've done some data on it as well.

“In League 2, 48% of goals are scored from box entries, whether that's from set pieces or from open play, and 21% of goals are scored from shots from the D.

“It's a big percentage and you see that with a lot of teams when you analyse a lot of the opposition, and you look at their goal trends scored against - a lot of the trends are box entries, shots from distance, get to that D and pull the trigger.”

He added: “I don't think we do it enough as a team. I think we've started to become more aggressive when crossing the ball.

“I think Kellan's [Gordon] somebody who crosses the ball really well. Lewis [Richards] on the other side and Johnny [Russell] or whoever plays, Harry Forster - we have put balls in the box on that side as well.

“So, it's important that we continue to do that, but I want to see more shots from distance. I think that we turn that down too many times.”

The injury to January signing Theo Vassell was a big blow to the Reds, but Lindsey has been able to rely on the services of the versatile Geraldo Bajrami.

He said: “I think that obviously when Vass came in and played, we kept three clean sheets in a row and that was largely down to him. But then it was really pleasing to see us keep a clean sheet without him with Baj in the team as the middle centre-back

“I think Baj's got some real control about him, looks calm with the ball. I'm really pleased that we kept a clean sheet. He had a real tough task as well, because we went man-for-man on the press against MK Dons and he finds himself in a one-on-one with Rushian Hepburn-Murphy who, as we know, is like Road Runner.

“I thought Baj dealt with him really well. I know he got booked in the first 40 seconds and that was probably the only opportunity they got down the sides of us. Other than that, I thought that Baj dealt with that really well. I'm, at the moment, really pleased with that back line.”

Crawley are just two points above 23rd-placed Harrogate Town and three points clear of bottom-club Newport County, who have a game in hand.

With 27 points, they share the same tally with Barrow and Bristol Rovers in a group of five clubs that risk becoming detached from the rest of League Two if results don’t pick up.