Opinion: Carlisle were too good - let's hope embarrassed Crawley respond

It was either going to be the Reds’ undeniably poor record against the Cumbrians or their own unbeaten home run that extended to 12 months and 14 league matches. It was the latter as in a dismal all-round display the lads slipped to their worst defeat under John Yems’ management.

Put simply Carlisle were the better side in every department. They were too good for Crawley in defence, in midfield and in attack but additionally they were too good for referee Antony Coggins, who seemed to fall for every trick.

I could imagine the frustration felt by Jake Hesketh and Tom Nichols as their harsh treatment went largely unpunished but I also thought David Sesay was incorrectly sent off. From the single camera angle it appeared to me that he played the ball but, as he raised no protest and trudged off, I guess the official had called it correctly.

In no way was the referee responsible for the harsh reverse which was entirely self-inflicted. The loss of substitute Sesay, who had already prevented two certain goals, was concerning and Yems’ options are now severely limited as he is without three right-backs for Tuesday’s game against Grimsby Town. Whatever formation is chosen, surely Tom Dallison must return.

After some early successes it now seems to me that playing Tony Craig is a luxury that Crawley Town can ill afford. The way he stood and watched as Rhys Bennett scored the opener was shocking. It showed a lack of awareness that would disappoint in a rookie making his debut.

It always puzzles me when every player has an off day at the same time. The manager was not keen to either praise or criticise individuals but for me Hesketh’s energy and commitment and Sesay’s relatively brief contribution set them apart. If we declined defensively as the game progressed we had never been in the hunt in midfield where Jack Powell and Tarryn Allarakhia were well off the pace.

Hopefully embarrassment will lead to a much better display against Grimsby as this was simply not what Crawley Town are all about.

Last week the Reds played a friendly against Reading U23 that ended goalless. In addition to providing much needed game time for some of the squad it also saw the appearance of two trialists in midfield. The managers were pleased with their efforts and it is now a case of watch this space.

There seems to be little doubt that the club’s scouting system is working well which, in these trying times of financial restraint, is a great bonus for the future.