This is how long it took Crawley Town boss to say 'we're going to be alright here' in win against Blackpool - video
Crawley Town started their League One campaign with a superb 2-1 win against Blackpool at the Broadfield Stadium – and Scott Lindsey said it was a good benchmark for them
As with last season, the Reds are favourites to go down with the bookies in their first season in League One for nine years. But goals from Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Armanda Quitirna gave them the win in front of more than 4,700 fans.
Reds were particularly dominant in the first half before holding out in the end following Ashley Fletcher’s goal to secure three points.
And Lindsey was delighted. “I was really pleased with the way we played, especially in the first half,” he said. “We had the control I wanted in the game against a good side.
“I thought we pressed really well. We probably sat a little deeper in the second half but that happens, you try and hold on to the lead, we didn’t get as much control but there were some really good passages of play but I wanted more control.
“But it’s normal when you have a new group. What was pleasing was how resilient we were towards the end. We gifted them a goal and I thought we were really resilient, they flung a lot of balls into the box and we dealt with it.”
And it was that first half that pleased Lindsey most about the performance, and he revealed the point when he realised his side were going to be good enough to compete – and win – aqt this level.
He told us: “You go into that first game not knowing, especially with a new group, we had a lot of new players who played today and you go into the game, even though you have done the work on the training ground, you are not sure how it’s going to pan out but 25 minutes in, I looked at my staff and said ‘we’re going to be alright here’, we looked really accomplished.”
SEE ALSO Watch as Crawley boss Scott Lindsey looks ahead to League One season opener against Blackpool | Crawley Town announce squad numbers ahead of League One campaign | Crawley Town fans delighted as former Ipswich and Plymouth striker returns for second stint
Reds brought on substitutes Cameron Bragg, Panutche Camara, Ade Adeyemo and Jack Roles in the second half and Lindsey was pleased with how they played.
"We have got good options with the players who came on and I thought they made a real impact,” he said.
“There were some tired legs at the end there because the players had put in such a big shift in.
“It was important to keep that freshness with our press. It’s difficult to ask Hepburn-Murphy to press like he does for 90 minutes, even [Ronan] Darcy, who is like a Duracell bunny, ran out of steam and he felt his ankle a little bit, so we had to make changes. Scott Malone was on his knees at the end.
"But I think the fans can see that we have a really competitive team. Blackpool have a good side, they finished three points outside the play-offs last year so that was a good benchmark for us today.”