'Should have done something with a priest' - Scott Lindsey suggests divine intervention might be needed to save Crawley

Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Cambridge United, at Cledara Abbey Stadium, was Crawley’s third in a row in the league, and it leaves them 21st in the table.

“I thought we should have done something in the week with a priest or something,” Lindsey quipped. “I'm being serious.”

The Reds manager was clearly exasperated by a mix of misfortune and repeated defensive lapses. Despite carving out promising opportunities – including Dion Conroy’s header that hit the post and a free header squandered by Josh Flint – Crawley couldn’t find their finishing touch, nor could they keep the ball out of their own net.

Lindsey added: “I just feel there's some kind of invisible wall.

"Yes, we created quite a lot of chances again today. Had we done our job at the other end of the pitch, we would have won the game. We're not capable of keeping a clean sheet at the moment.”

Lindsey was dumbfounded with the goals he saw his team concede.

“I just don't understand the first goal,” he said. “I don't understand the second goal. I don't understand all the goals.

"And we talk about it all the time.”

Lindsey pointed to a recent stat – more than 80 set-pieces defended without conceding – as evidence of progress, but the players undid their hard work.

“We were patting them on the back for that, saying it’s got to continue – then we just defend like schoolboys today,” Lindsey said.

“The third goal is really disappointing because I see players not running.

“They can't play for me if they're not prepared to run when the opposition have the ball

“There’s players crossing the halfway line, almost at a jog, as the opposition are putting the ball in the net. They can't and they won't play for me.”

Asked how to address issues of commitment and desire, Lindsey acknowledged the challenge but remained hopeful.

“Yes, I think I've got enough in the building,” he said. “I've just got to make sure I put the right players on the pitch. It's not easy, especially when you're not doing well and the results are against you. It’s difficult to find that edge and that character.

“We do the preparation, we look at Cambridge, we work out how we think we can hurt them. The work goes in on the training pitch, the detail we give the players is enough.”

Lindsey confirmed that Harry Forster suffered an injury at Cambridge, though the extent remains unclear.

“Too early to tell,” he said.

In the end, the overriding emotion was one of disappointment and disbelief, both at the result and at the deeper issues affecting his squad.

“We’re just weak at the moment. We've got to find that character and quickly.”

Whether it’s tactical tweaks, changes in personnel, or a visit from a local priest, Lindsey made one thing clear – something needs to change fast at Crawley.