Steve Leake: The Town and the team must all stick together

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Life-long fan gives his thoughts on the latest goings on at Crawley Town

Firstly, let’s deal with our exit from the EFL Trophy at the hands of the high-flying Wycombe Wanderers. In the competition that gives us the best chance to pay another visit to the twin towers, so sorry, showing my age, the arch of Wembley stadium we bowed out gracefully by two goals to one.

Yes, we could have gone 2-1 up if Jeremy Kelly had passed the ball into the net rather than trying to get it over the keeper, but I thought a team showing eight changes from the previous game displayed enough capability to ensure we climb up the league in the coming weeks. Our team would also be strengthened by the return of at least some of our injured players in the coming weeks, but only if we, Town and Team all stick together.

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I wanted desperately to go to Bristol for Saturday's game but, still recovering from my bout of labyrinthitis, I am making do with watching it on television. As I sit here in Oak Road, the team news shows a strengthening from Tuesday night’s cup game and shows our intent with Swan and Hepburn-Murphy in the starting lineup, although it appears that Harry Forster must have joined those on the treatment table as he is omitted from the match day squad altogether as is Gavan Holohan.

Connal Trueman was on top form at Bristol Rovers | Picture: Eva GilbertConnal Trueman was on top form at Bristol Rovers | Picture: Eva Gilbert
Connal Trueman was on top form at Bristol Rovers | Picture: Eva Gilbert

At the end of the first half, despite having more possession than the Gas, we were lucky to not to be at least one goal down and if it wasn’t for the metalwork and Connall Trueman, starring in goal, we most certainly would have been. We created some chances near the end of the half and with a little more grit could have snatched the lead against the run of play.

We had to wait until the 44th minute for our first corner, and as the commentator wittily remarked, “just like a London bus, when one comes along another one comes just after it”, but alas we did not take advantage of the opportunity offered.

With Connall Trueman being the likely winner of the man of the match award in the first half alone, we, Crawley Town, needed an improvement in the second half if we were to get anything from the trip west, and that is exactly what happened. Even with Chris Martin in their side and Scott Sinclair coming on in the second half for his Rovers’ return in the end it looked like the Reds just might end up ruling the world, in this match anyway.

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As it was, the game ended 0-0 for our second clean sheet in the last three games and valuable game time was given to John-Jules. Showunmi, Adeyemo and Roles with Jack almost scoring with his first touch. At the other end, Joy Mukena made a match saving tackle just when it was needed, and the loyal travelling Red Devils must surely have gone home well satisfied with the effort put in by their heroes in Red.

Small in number, our support may have been, but they certainly out sung the home support. Now all we need is for some of our missing from action players, Conroy, Flint, Williams, Forster, Holohan and Quitirna to recover and we can start to turn those draws into wins, starting, I hope, with the visit of Rotherham who are managed by the charismatic Steve Evans who, before Craig Brewster in 2012 and Scott Lindsey in 2024, was the manager who oversaw the important promotion from non-league to the EFL.

Welcome back Big Man, but I do hope your visit is pointless.

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