'There's a sour taste' - Crawley Town boss' reaction to injury time winner as unbeaten run comes to an end

Crawley Town interim manager Lewis Young left with a ‘sour taste’ after losing in the 92nd minute away to Walsall 2-1.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Walsall’s Danny Johnson put an end to the Reds five game unbeaten run in the league when he converted his 11th goal of the season with just moments to spare.

“There’s a sour taste because it’s so gutting to concede in the last minute,” said Young. “But they (Crawley) stood as a group until the 92nd minute and we’ve come to a really tough place.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Crawley’s defender Ludwig Francillette was given a second yellow card in the 39th minute after battling with Johnson to defend a long ball. With the Reds players outraged over the possibility of an offside, Young said, “I think I better watch what I say to not get myself in trouble.

“But after watching it back he’s offside and then it doesn’t have to lead to what it does. But we’ve still got to defend it better. It’s one long ball forward which he shouldn’t be able to get goal side from. That was disappointing because we then had to take off Dom Telford.”

Telford opened the scoring for the travelling Reds in the 11th minute when his trademark finish found the bottom-right corner. On having to accommodate for Francillette’s red card by substituting his goal scorer, Young said, “Dom (Telford) felt like he was going to be a match winner today.

“I was really impressed with the goal we scored after some individual brilliance from Joel Lynch to play in Nadders (Ashley Nadesan) and set up Dom (Teflord). I told him he was going to score all week.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Crawley were only ahead for the next three minutes after the Saddlers equalised through Hayden White. With a drop to ten men closing in on the second halve, the Reds goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe pulled off some crucial saves to keep them in the game.

Lewis YoungLewis Young
Lewis Young

“Ellery (Balcombe) is a top-class goalie,” said Crawley’s number nine, Tom Nichols. “His shot stopping in the second half was second to none, his distribution was brilliant and a good addition to the squad.”

Balcombe singed on loan from Brentford in the summer but was injured during the first game of the season. Last week, the England youth international helped Crawley keep their first clean sheet under Young, after his recent return to the squad.

Crawley will host Gillingham on Tuesday at their Broadfield Stadium where under Young, they’ve only ever won in the league. Whilst four points above the Gills after his first league loss, Young said, “My job is to now try and pick us up and get ready for what’s going to be a tough test.

“There are parts of the game I’m still disappointed with which I told the players straight after the game. But I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”

Related topics: