Crawley Town beat Notts County 2-1 | Scott Lindsey press conference
Crawley Town beat Notts County 2-1 at the Broadfield Stadium. Second half goals from Klaidi Lolos and Ade Adeyemo sealed the three points on a brilliant night for the Reds. Here is Scott Lindsey's reaction
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 What a crazy game here at the BFL stadium this evening, ultimately what's important
00:06 is to be collected another three points, can I get your general assessment of the game
00:09 first?
00:10 Yeah, obviously delighted with the result and thought it was a good performance. I felt
00:15 that we could have committed a little bit more in terms of how we pressed, certainly
00:19 in the first half. We wanted really high energy, we knew they were going to make passes at
00:24 the back and we wanted to really press them high up the pitch. I felt that we were about
00:31 an inch away from getting it right. I said to the players on the training ground yesterday
00:36 that there's going to be times when they get through us because they're a good side, do
00:40 not get disheartened by that. We have to be relentless with the way we pressed and I felt
00:47 we didn't fully commit to it and I felt we didn't fully commit to our possession as much
00:54 as I'd have liked. So we kind of put that right, we spoke about that at half-time and
01:01 I thought we were unbelievable in the second half. I thought we controlled the game, I
01:07 thought we attacked them relentlessly all night, even in the first half without, forget
01:11 the press and forget the possession, we just attacked, attacked, attacked and that's what
01:15 I wanted to do. We listened to their manager after the game when they played Wimbledon
01:21 last week and he mentioned that they really struggled to defend in the box. So we used
01:26 that as a tool for us to really attack them and we certainly did that.
01:33 I think it speaks volumes about a performance when the away goalkeeper probably deserved
01:38 Man of the Match tonight. Without him it could have been a cricket score, he made several
01:42 really top quality saves. So in terms of the performance, because we know that's what you've
01:47 been asking for a lot more recently, is shots, that must be really pleasing.
01:50 Yeah, we created quite a lot tonight didn't we? I think looking at the stats, I think
01:54 we had 31 shots, 14 on target and a lot of them come probably more so in the second half.
02:02 But yeah, we could have scored a lot more for sure. There was a couple of really good
02:06 chances, gilt-edged chances. The keeper's done brilliantly well for them on a number
02:11 of occasions. But we can't be too greedy.
02:19 From earlier on in the season where we spoke a lot about how we would perhaps dominate
02:22 a game and we weren't having these shots on target, it seems to have completely flipped
02:26 now. Is that something that you've really been working on in the last few weeks especially?
02:29 Well we've worked on it all season if I'm honest with you. We've always wanted to create
02:33 a lot of chances. We've got players in the building that are capable of scoring goals
02:37 and we've always wanted to do that and we've always worked on that. We've changed our shape
02:42 slightly. Now we've lost Liam Kelly, we've gone with one pivot in there which gives us
02:48 more bodies higher up the pitch, playing with two forwards almost. It seems to have helped
02:55 us in the last three games because we've probably had the highest xG in the last three games
03:01 that we've had all season. So it's obviously worked and Jay Williams has coped really well
03:08 in there without Liam. So touch wood it continues.
03:12 Jay is obviously someone we have to talk about, captain of the side tonight. He's taken on
03:16 a big role this season, obviously his first season back in the EFL and he's taken to it
03:21 brilliantly hasn't he? He's probably one of the unsung heroes of this team, I think you'd
03:24 probably agree.
03:25 Playing for Bambury United last year and for him to come to a League Two club and take
03:32 on board the information that he's taken on and to perform in the way that he performs
03:40 every week with an unbelievable attitude to win is fantastic. Credit to him, he's a real
03:48 real winner. He drives the lads through the game, he pulls them over the line nearly every
03:54 week and I think obviously Deon coming out of the team, we spoke about it as staff who
04:01 we felt could be a good leader. Skipper on the pitch and no one better than Jay.
04:06 It's been incredible to see so many of the lads progress this season. We have to talk
04:12 about Clydie as well, two match winning goals in the space of two games for him and he's
04:16 taken both brilliantly, obviously the one against Harrogate and then one again today.
04:19 He's proven to be just getting better every game isn't he?
04:22 Yeah, it was a great goal wasn't it? Harry Forster played the ball not down the side
04:29 but almost like infield and Lowlis is taking the ball perfectly well, it's a great way
04:35 to pass. We work on actions like that and then the finish was brilliant. So yeah, we're
04:43 really pleased and then of course it's always nice to score from a corner with the second
04:47 one with Adi. Again we work on getting three V2s in wide areas. I know a lot of fans will
04:54 probably moan because we don't stick it in the box but we feel you've got to stick it
04:59 in the box a hell of a lot of times before you get one chance to score. We think we've
05:02 got a better opportunity from scoring if we used to play short like we did and again Adi
05:08 took his goal great.
05:09 Yeah, first goal in professional football for Adi, he's a great example of one of the
05:14 players who has had to wait his time but it still shows that they're learning and it's
05:19 so important to have players in the team that can come on late in the game and win you moments
05:22 like that.
05:23 Again, he was playing for Crave Valley Paper Mills last year and he'd come on trial at
05:31 the end of last season and I really liked him. There was something really raw about
05:34 him but a real innocent way that he's got as a person and he's a great lad and he's
05:45 learning his trade and he's doing it really well. In training he's outstanding, he's got
05:49 some unbelievable ability and when I throw him on it's almost like anything can happen
05:55 with Adi because he's got so much ability and I'm really pleased for him.
05:59 We know you've got a great relationship with the fans, I think you might have taken that
06:04 to a whole new level this evening. You certainly got quite involved with the Terrace but in
06:08 these last 10 games we have to stick together don't we? It's given me one big push but it
06:14 shows what they can do.
06:15 Yeah, for sure. I really enjoyed that and they're great. I wish I could get in there
06:20 with them sometimes. It's brilliant for them to see the team play in the way they're playing
06:27 and to win a game against a really good side, especially to come from behind to win it as
06:34 well. Now I'm really pleased.
06:36 Thank you Scott.
06:37 Kevin Gordon, you mentioned him on Saturday against Harrogate, played really well, especially
06:42 second half. First half today I thought he was incredible. How frustrating was it that
06:47 no one got on the end of those crosses because I lost count of how many crosses he got?
06:51 Like I say, we wanted to pepper their box, we wanted to put plenty of balls in their
06:54 box tonight. We normally play around the box more than we did tonight but we felt that
07:00 if we put more balls in the box we'll create chances from that. But yeah, I agree with
07:04 you, I thought he was outstanding in that first half for sure. I think he ran out of
07:08 steam so we brought him off when we felt the time was right but I thought he was very,
07:13 very good in that first half. And yeah, frustrating to not get on the end of it. There was a couple
07:17 that ran out the back post but we kept possession and tried to build the play from that left
07:24 hand side from it. So no, I was really pleased with Kevin tonight.
07:28 And again, the substitutes seem to have worked wonders. Jack Rowles I thought was excellent
07:31 when he came on and that. That just must be really pleasing for you to see those work
07:35 when you make those changes.
07:36 I really enjoy watching Jack Rowles, Addy, Jeremy come on and did great, then Nixarula
07:42 come on and did great. I sit there and smile and it's almost like really, really pleasing
07:48 to watch them play and how comfortable they are on the ball and how they enjoy playing
07:54 in the team. It's great and I thought all the subs made a real difference and now I
08:02 congratulated every one of them because I thought everybody performed really well tonight.
08:07 And it's now ninth, two points off the players, so you've got a couple of games on hand on
08:10 ASC Wimbledon. It's not sort of a pipe dream anymore is it? It's in your hands now.
08:15 Yeah, it always has been and it's never been a pipe dream in my opinion. I think that when
08:21 we started working with the squad in the summer, I always felt that this squad could do special
08:25 things and I still do. I've always believed in it. Now people are starting to probably
08:34 sit up and take us serious now. I'm really pleased. Of course we've got a long way to
08:41 go and the next game is the most important one. Forget the other nine, the next game
08:47 is the most important one and we'll be focusing all our efforts on that.
08:51 And very quickly, you mentioned Liam Kelly being out, Ben Gladwin's out, Dion Conroy
08:56 out at the moment. How pleasing is it that you're picking up points with three of your
09:00 arguably best and most experienced players?
09:02 Yeah, brilliant because it just shows how strong the squad is, doesn't it? You always
09:07 wonder when you lose big players like Dion, Ben and Liam, how would the team cope? But
09:16 the proof is there tonight. I thought Joey McKenna was class tonight, come in and look
09:21 like he's been there all season. Fantastic. Whilst we do miss them players, the players
09:29 who have come in have been fantastic.
09:32 Brilliant, thanks Scott.
09:33 Thank you.
09:34 How long is the injury?
09:40 Ben's going to be probably two weeks, Dion's going to be probably two weeks and Liam Kelly
09:48 unfortunately will be a little bit longer.
09:50 Because in the running you'll need them all.
09:53 Yeah, of course, we're going to need them.
09:56 Is the number of games crowded into one?
09:59 Yeah, of course we've got a lot of games. I think there's seven games in March and six
10:03 in April, so moving forward there is. So yeah, a lot of games but we're going to need them all.
10:11 Somebody like Abbie might get more opportunities. I know that when you first
10:15 were seen here you were excited about him and he's proven it, hasn't he?
10:21 Yeah, he's done well all season. We've got a good squad and there's been times when I
10:28 don't think it's been suited for him to come on the pitch and there's been times where
10:32 I think this is perfect for Abbie. Tonight was one of them games, there were spaces that
10:37 opened up and I thought that, killing tired, I thought that Abbie could cause a few problems
10:43 down that right-hand side and of course he scored an unbelievable goal.
10:47 It was an unbelievable goal actually and he celebrated it quite a bit, didn't he?
10:52 Rightly so.
10:53 I thought he was going to run out the door.