We caught up with Crawley Town defender Laurence Maguire after his side's disappointing 2-0 defeat to Doncaster Rovers at the Broadfield Stadium.
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00:00 Lawrence, thank you for joining us. Obviously a disappointing result here at the Bournemouth Stadium. Can I get your overall reflection of the game first?
00:07 Yeah, very disappointing. Obviously we came into this game on the back of a great run of fixtures and a great run of results.
00:16 So we all believed that we could have gone out there and got three points today. But it wasn't to be and now we've got a massive game coming up on Monday at Newport.
00:25 The gaffer said that he probably largely puts it down to us being too nice today. Obviously as a defender that might not necessarily be aimed at yourself.
00:34 He said we should have perhaps taken advantage of the chances that we were able to create. Would you agree with that, that we were probably a little bit too nice to Doncaster today?
00:42 Yeah, personally I thought it was a little bit loose with the ball. Definitely at the top end of the pitch. I felt like first half we got through them a few times and then there were a few giveaways and then it turned into a little bit of a basketball game where it was a little bit end-to-end for our liking.
01:00 But we tried to stop that at half-time and then obviously goals change games, moments. They get the goal, then they're sending off and we're all out of attack and we're trying to get something out of the game.
01:13 And then obviously there's one mistake at the end and it's game over. But the game was probably done by then anyway.
01:19 It's hard isn't it? Because you want to look at it and say the 10 men would have given us a great advantage and with nine minutes added time we should be pushing for an equaliser. But as the gaffer said, sometimes that can actually throw you off.
01:31 We've been so good with playing our style of football, the gaffer said, that it was all a little bit mismatched at the end and playing with seven forwards. So it must be difficult out there.
01:39 Yeah, it's something that I've learned the more I've played really. Obviously when you go down to 10 men, fans, players, you're all just thinking 'let's go get a goal now' and then all of a sudden you're all over the place really in terms of your team shape, the way you've worked all week.
01:55 But yeah, we tried our best to try and get a goal and it wasn't to be.
02:00 Yeah, and as you said we've got some big games coming up, that's seven left for the season now. Is it a case of just putting today behind us and just fully focusing on these seven games and there's still a lot to play for isn't there?
02:12 Yeah, obviously we're all really disappointed in there as players because we knew that we could have come out of this game with three points or even a point. But we have got seven big games left and that's something that us as players, fans and the club have got to stick together now.
02:26 We're still right in there, we're right in the mix and the games are going to come thick and fast so now we need to stick together and hopefully go out there on Monday and put it right.
02:35 Yeah, it's the old football cliche isn't it, after a loss you always want the next game to come around as quick as possible. Fortunately we've got a shorter break than normal obviously playing on Monday so I suppose as a group in there you've all just sat down and gone 'right, we've got a great chance to put this right on Monday haven't you?'
02:49 Yeah definitely, physically and mentally we've got to recover. We've got two days now to prepare and get ready for Monday. It's like you say, it's an old cliche that you want the next game to come around as quick as it can after a loss. It's the perfect opportunity now for us to bounce back on Monday away at Newport.
03:07 Yeah, we have been so impressive away from home obviously, Trammere being a great example of that. So when you look at those games it must give you great confidence to know that you can go into these games with full confidence?
03:18 Yeah definitely, our away form has picked up as you know recently. It's a great opportunity, we've got seven big games left, we need to stick together. It's a loss today but we need to stick together as a club and hopefully put it right on Monday.
03:34 Lauren, something Scott just said to us was maybe the pressure of actually being in the play-offs got to the players. Is there any sort of truth in that? Because obviously you've been outside it so long, got into it last week and now was there any kind of different pressure did you feel as a player being in the play-offs?
03:50 Personally I didn't feel any different type of pressure. I thought we've had a great week's training, we've prepared right, we've done everything exactly the same. I just think that sometimes in football you have bad results and today was one of them. Obviously we don't want to have bad results because as a football club we've come on leaps and bounds and it's something that we're all really proud of where we are in the league.
04:15 We feel like we don't want to just end it where we're just going to finish outside the play-offs and move on to next season. There's something that in our bellies and in the squad that we know that we want to believe that we can go up and get promoted this season through the play-offs. We've still got a great opportunity with that, we've got seven games left, we've got a great opportunity to put that right and obviously nothing better than going to Newport on Monday and trying to get the three points.
04:40 Scott also said you're lucky that results sort of went your way a little bit with teams around you just drawing and dropping points. How quickly after the game are you aware of the results of other games now?
04:51 It's something that for myself I don't really focus on that. I focus on us as a club and personally my own performance and how I can get better. I've heard that the results have gone our way. I haven't looked at the results but I've heard the results have gone our way. I still think there's going to be a lot of ups and downs. There's still a long way to go and obviously we've got seven games left, some teams have got five.
05:17 There's going to be people picking up results, there's going to be people losing and today's obviously a day where most of the teams have dropped points. Monday might be a time where everybody wins and it doesn't change the picture. I think there's going to be a lot of change from now towards the end of the season. I just think as a club we've got to stick together and hopefully we'll be there come the end of the season.
05:39 How impressed have you been playing next to Joey McKay?
05:49 It's been a tough season for Joey obviously. He's a great lad, he's stood by it, he trains really hard which is a massive bonus to him and a credit to him really. He's worked hard, he's kept himself in the gym, he's worked hard on the training ground and he's got his chance and he's took it. He's been fantastic really.
06:11 It's nice to see a young lad get the chance that he deserves and hopefully he can carry on that form.
06:20 How much of a boost is it to have Liam Kelly, Deon Conroy coming back today?
06:24 It's a massive boost obviously. When you get a few injuries you're a bit like 'what are we going to do? Are we going to pick up results without these in the team?' Obviously we've been on a great run without them but now we've got them back it's a great opportunity to put them back in the team and into the squad and have them around the place because they're great players and great lads as well.
06:44 Brilliant, thanks Lars.