After another encouraging performance against Charlton, but an ultimately disappointing result, we had to go to Huddersfield just four days later and try and get something out of the game in terms of points rather than just a feeling that we played well.

The game against an improved Charlton Athletic team saw us perform well but with no reward and we paid the price for one slip in concentration in the first half. The encouraging part of the evening was being able to see nearly all our injured players taking part in the game, including Jeremy Kelly who has been sorely missed in recent times. Despite the result and Bristol Rovers and Exeter winning, Cambridge United lost as did Mansfield which leaves us needing wins urgently if we are to climb out of the drop zone. The Stags, managed by our old “friend” Nigel “I’ll never have to come back to Crawley again”

Clough are without a win since January 4th and have lost nine times in that run of thirteen games including against each of the current bottom four. They are however, eleven points above Crawley at kick off time on Saturday and would have to lose another four whilst we have a run of four wins if we were to catch them. (Make that five and five as they won against Barnsley). The Cambridge United versus Peterborough United game, which kicked off early at 1230, was nil-nil at half time and had seen us drop a place to 23rd, that was if points were awarded at half time.

However, just as the Crawley Town starting lineup was announced at 2pm, Edun scored for the Posh with a delightfully placed free kick which is how the score was to remain, lifting Darren Ferguson’s side up to 17th before everyone else, except for Bolton Wanderers and Stockport County, had kicked off. The Lolos versus Addai game ended in a one nil away win for County, consolidating their place in the play offs and giving a chance for our opponents, Huddersfield Town, to leapfrog the Wanderers into the last playoff place, if they were to beat us later in the afternoon. The Crawley Town team included Jeremy Kelly and Tola Showunmi in the starting lineup and named Josh Flint as a substitute for the first time since his injury against the Cobblers back in October.

Ade Adeyemo's goal was the only positive for Crawley at Huddersfield | Picture: Eva Gilbert

Apparently, the Terriers hadn’t scored at home since Boxing Day, but it only took them three minutes to breach our defences for the first time and just nine minutes to go two nil up. Sixteen minutes and the game had gone as the Terriers went three up, and even I am getting fearful, not only about today’s result but also about any chance we had of escaping the drop. Twenty-nine minutes gone and a free header makes it four nil. One has to wonder how a team can succumb as easily as this, especially after two reasonable performances and if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, we will have no goalkeeper next week because Woollacott will be on international duty with Ghana.

The second half saw Camara, Fraser, Swan and Kelly replaced by Adeyemo, Hepburn-Murphy, Armando and Flint, and although Huddersfield were limited to just one more goal this could well be a defining negative moment in our fight against relegation.......and then Adeyemo scores with the last kick of the game to rapturous applause from the travelling fans. On the plus side, if there can be one or even two, we did draw the second half and Bristol Rovers lost by five against Lincoln City. Next game at the Broadfield? Bristol Rovers next Saturday.

Thoughts of a lifelong fan: Crawley performed well, but no reward against Charlton - but Huddersfield was a different story