It's a strange thing to celebrate being the 22nd best team in League Two, says injured Crawley Town striker

Reds secured League Two safety with a 0-0 draw against promotion-chasing Salford City at the Broadfield Stadium. Colin Kazim Richards’ side finished 22nd in the end, one point above relegation after Harrogate Town lost to Barnet 2-1 on the final day.

And after the final whistle went, Crawley fans rushed on to the pitch to celebrate. They stood in front of the main stand where all the player and staff congregated and sung ‘we are staying up’ among other chants to celebrate survival in what were euphoric scenes.

Striker McKirdy has been injured for the past two games but he was at the Broadfield to support his teammates and join in the celebrations.

And afterwards he caught up with BBC Sussex and Surrey’s Robin Grey. He said: “It's strange. It wasn't like a happiness after the game. It was more just pure relief. It's a strange thing to celebrate being the 22nd best team in League Two because you see the standard of some football and obviously what's happened this season.

"There's no going away from it, this season's not been good enough and we should never be in the situation we've been in. But the fine margin, I'm looking at the clock, 80 minutes and think we're a goal away from getting relegated. And we've touched on a few times this season what getting relegated would mean.”

And the former Hibs and Swindon frontman said he had only once had a similar feeling to the one he felt after the final whistle against Salford.

"For this club to not be in the Football League because of us would have been... I think it's 15 years they've been in the League and for us to be the ones that cost us that. And if we'd gone it the other way then we couldn't have complained if Harrogate had gone on one today because we've not been good enough for the majority of the season. But it's just pure relief.

“I've never felt like that watching a game of football. I think the only time... I was in Porto to watch Chelsea in the Champions League final and that's the only time I've ever felt like that watching a game of football and got a bit emotional after the game.”

The 29-year-old also admitted how tough it had been for players like Ryan Loft and Louie Watson who had been put in the ‘bomb squad’ earlier in the season and had to fight their way back in. “Some of the boys you see at the end, Lofty and Louis Watson, everyone was a credit to themselves. But especially them boys, they've had it tough since January. I've been in their situation and looked at... Managers make decisions.

“They have to. We probably wasn't good enough first half of the season. But I've been in the situation them boys have been in.

“And Watson is a lot younger than me and I've been in this situation at his age. And if I was called upon like he was, I wouldn't have been ready because I would have been sulking probably. I spoke to him after, credit to him.”

He added: “The way the boys have handled not being involved and in the bomb squad. I think it's the first bomb squad in history that's been made and I've not been put in it so they have reacted a lot better than I would have and they're a credit to themselves but I didn't do anything today.”

McKirdy also added his desire to stay next season. You can see his full interview at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0nj1ltg.