Thoughts of a lifelong fan: Crawley Town's best defensive performance for many a year

I am starting to write this on the Friday before the Watford game, which tells you that we must have won last Monday at York. In my opinion, we not only won but thoroughly deserved it.

But when I saw the team sheet before the game, I did wonder what players had to do to get in the team or just in the squad. Ironically, the boy who gave us the right to name seven substitutes didn’t make the squad despite having a fantastic game against Reading. 

Putting that aside, the first Crawley Town goal in the 24th minute was one of real quality, with new boy Malcolm Ebiowei putting a quality ball down the right wing which allowed Kellan Gordon to drive a ball across the York penalty area for the boy from Juventus, Giannmarco Di Biase to drive it into the net with aplomb. 

1-0 up at half time but with both sides having chances to score it was an open and very entertaining game. Ebiowei had an effort saved by the York keeper soon after the first Crawley goal and in the second half Stephen “the Duke” Duke-McKenna saw his shot hit the foot of the post whilst at the other end the hosts were also denied by the woodwork when Zech Medley's volley thudded against the underside of the crossbar following Alex Hunt's corner. 

Crawley showed real resolve to keep York at bay and substitute Orsi settled the outcome from the penalty spot in the 86th minute, slotting home as McNally dived to his left after Louie Watson had been upended by Zak Johnson in the box. 

The home fans chanted "Stuart Maynard's Barmy Army" and "We Want Maynard Back" towards the end of the game, venting their continued dismay at the dismissal of last season's championship-winning manager on the eve of the new campaign, but when all is said about Scott Lindsey's appointment as York manager, I think it a bit unfair to blame him totally for the result.  

Time for a break now as I prepare for the Watford away trip. 

I must first admit I had other things on my mind whilst at Watford, as I heard after about 30 minutes of the journey that my partner was waiting for an ambulance to take her into East Surrey because of what appeared to be a severe adverse reaction to her first bout of cancer treatment.

However, after I had talked to her and she assured me she would wait patiently with her daughter for the medical aid to arrive, I settled down to watch what was, as far as I was concerned, the best defensive display by a Red Devils team for many a year.

The statistics will show that Watford deserved their victory and should really have won by more than the solitary goal, but that should not take away from the heroic display put in by Mannone and the outfield players in front of him. The nine minutes added on may have seemed excessive to the travelling RED DEVIL army, especially when Watford scored in the eighth minute of that, but if we had shot more frequently, rather than passing the ball to someone else in front of goal, I truly believe we would have been in the next round. Undeservedly perhaps, according to the stats that is, but I can’t wait for next week against Crewe. How about you?