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“I’m always confident with everything, if I’m not then the lads won’t be. That’s how you have to be with everything in life. You get your little doubts and little bit of nerves but let’s get on with it. What’s the point? Who are you frightened of? It’s a football match at the end of the day.”

See also Crawley Town v Swindon Town preview: Reds will be underdogs as talented Robins visit

Without a win in five, the Reds still put in a good account of themselves against Exeter City in midweek, despite the injury problems. Yems’ has been left with a headache for most of the season due to injuries but the problems are mounting up again with him unsure if anyone will return, instead saying, “If anything, we’re losing more people.”

His side have been in the unenvious position of having to adapt all season, something that has unsurprisingly affected the side and mainly the cohesion of striking options with peoples coming in and out through injury and fitness issues. “The results dictate what you do, we keep getting accused of not finishing games off but it’s hard. Till’s (James Tilley) will tell you, you come back after 19 days out and get thrown straight in.

“The only way you can get match fit is by playing the matches, if you can’t play the matches then you won’t get fit. It’s about getting that balance, when you tell the lads you’re leaving them out today because we’re going to rest you, they look at you again going, oh here we go with the old cobblers. But it’s a fact as you don’t want to lose them longer.”

The Reds had chances to get something from the game in midweek and in other previous games have been left to rue missed chances. “We’re creating chances if we weren’t then I’d be more concerned.

"But it’s the consistency with your partners on the pitch, knowing what Till’s (Tilley) is going to do when he gets the ball, that Nadders (Ashley Nadesan) knows what he’s going to do, but when Nadders gets the ball I don’t even think he knows what he’s going to do! That’s the sort of player he is, he’s off the cuff.”

Joining Yems was the returning James Tilley, who started against Exeter for the first time since the nasty head injury he picked up against Hartlepool United. “It was good to be back and starting. It was enjoyable and I think we played well. It’s a frustrating result but a good response from Saturday and we had them on the ropes.

"Obviously, we didn’t win so hopefully we can put that right Saturday,” Tilley said.

“I thought I done alright, obviously I want to play as much as I can now and try and push up the table, lets see where it takes us at the end of the season.”

Tilley has become one of the mainstays in the team over the second half of the season after only appearing in three of the opening 15 matches for the Reds. It’s clear that he has the support of his gaffer who said. “He’s gone away and worked hard at his game and he’s getting the rewards now. Sometimes the penny drops and when we’ve called everyone to come together, they’ve responded.

"He’ll tell you I wasn’t picking him because he didn’t deserve it.”

It’s clear that he’s learned the hard way from Yems and has now taken his chance. “That’s the most confidence you can get, the gaffer has supported me throughout the season and told me what he wanted from me and I’ve worked hard at it.”

Looking onto the weekend's challenge, he said: “It’s going to be another tough game, they’re a good footballing side but we showed last time we can go and compete against anyone and we’re going to go out Sunday, take it to them and try win the game.”

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'We’re creating chances, if we weren’t then I’d be more concerned' - Crawley Town boss John Yems confident his side will find their touch against Swindon Town