Matt Pole, is joined by Reds writers Mark Dunford and Sam Morton.
Crawley Town are off to Wembley for the first time in their history on Sunday.
Crawley Town are off to Wembley for the first time in their history on Sunday.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:12 Welcome to a very special Crawley Town Playoff Final edition of the Goldmouth Action Podcast.
00:17 I'm Matt Pohl and I'm joined by Reds writers Mark Dunford and Sam Morton.
00:21 Crawley Town are off to Wembley for the first time in their history on Sunday.
00:24 The Reds take on Crew Alexandra in the League Two Playoff Final,
00:27 looking to earn promotion back to League One for the first time since the 2014/15 campaign.
00:32 We'll take a look at Crawley's chances in the Playoff Final,
00:35 plus bring you all the latest team news ahead of Sunday's Showpiece Final.
00:39 You can read all the stories we are talking about with videos and pictures online at
00:43 sussexworld.co.uk/sport and you can check out other great videos on
00:47 shotstv.com and Freeview channel 276.
00:50 You may also be watching on latest TV, so thank you very much for tuning in.
00:54 But Crawley Town secured their place in the final with a pair of thumping wins over MK Dons.
00:59 Scott Lindsay's side had established a 3-0 first leg lead in West Sussex on Tuesday
01:04 and Daniello Orsi's hat-trick helped the Reds thrash the Dons 5-1 on Saturday evening
01:08 and quite frankly Mark, it was some evening wasn't it?
01:11 It was unbelievable. I mean before the game there were still some nerves
01:17 and I think the Crew result the night before had sort of focused their minds a little bit more
01:23 with everybody expecting Doncaster to go through but they, what they needed was an early goal
01:28 and I think it was Will Wright who tweeted, only one person in that Crawley team could have
01:33 tackled a goal, scored with a tackle and that was Jay Williams and he scored after a couple of minutes
01:39 and then that just, I think that settled the nerves. It didn't settle the nerves of Sam Gadsden
01:43 who was sat behind me even when it was 4-1 I think he still thought they were going to lose it
01:47 just because he's such a die-hard fan but they were unbelievable. They just outplayed, out-fought,
01:55 out-tackled, out-pressed everything and it was an absolute masterclass and yeah,
02:01 it was a record win at the end of the day. It was 8-1 and yeah, they were brilliant
02:06 and Daniello Orsi, I mean, his first goal I thought was brilliant, really good goal, edge of the area.
02:13 Adam Campbell made the decoy run but his second and third goals, I mean, I could have scored them
02:19 but he's been doing that all year. He's been in the right place, right time and some brilliant build-up plays
02:25 for all of them and yeah, they were brilliant and the atmosphere was incredible.
02:29 The MK Dons fans, they, yeah, they turned pretty quickly on their own side but the Crawley fans
02:36 out-sung them all night long. You could hear them, they tried to hide them away in the top tier
02:40 of that huge empty stadium and they made themselves heard and what I loved was every time a Crawley player
02:48 scored in the first half because they were shooting away from the Crawley fans, they ran the whole length
02:53 of the pitch to celebrate in front of those Crawley fans and it was a great side.
02:56 Jay Williams, it was like proper Adderby or against Arsenal when New Clavecoman scored against Man City
03:02 or whichever way around it was but yeah, a brilliant, brilliant, historic evening and now we've got
03:08 hopefully an even bigger, better day to come.
03:11 Absolutely. You mentioned the final scoreline over two legs of 8-1. That condemned MK Dons
03:16 to the biggest aggregate defeat in the history of the playoffs. We knew that it was going to be
03:21 an evenly matched side as both sides were in the playoff stand but I don't think many people
03:24 would have predicted that scoreline before the first game, would they?
03:28 Not at all. No, I certainly didn't see it coming. I was confident the Crawley could get the job done
03:33 but I certainly was predicting a close kind of tie really, especially when you consider that MK Dons
03:40 finished higher up in the table. They were obviously the nearest best finishers after the automatic
03:48 promotion places. You kind of felt that they would be in the strongest position on paper to go further
03:54 into the Wembley Showpiece Final but I really didn't see anything like that. We obviously heard from
04:01 the reporters from MK Dons in the first leg that the way they played was nothing like how they had
04:07 been playing all season and they've been resorted to playing long balls and trying to bypass the
04:11 dominant midfielder, Crawley, in the game. It was very similar again and potentially even worse
04:18 in the second leg. It really was. They just couldn't get to grips with it at all.
04:24 It's a difficult one to put it down to. Obviously, Crawley just handled the occasion better and
04:29 obviously, MK Dons, I think, have had a bit of a poor run in the playoffs and maybe that was in the back of their
04:33 minds as well. Crawley are completely fresh to it and had really nothing to lose.
04:38 I was definitely surprised by how easy it was and it's just amazing really and Crawley really are in the
04:44 headlines and have kind of made the world of football take notice really. I think we're going to go into
04:50 it in a minute but once again, just proving how much of a crazy decision it was that Scott Lindsay
04:54 was overlooked as the Manager of the Year really.
04:57 Absolutely, yes. As you said, we'll come on to that in a minute. Going back to the game at MK Dons, Mark,
05:02 where was it won for the Reds and how good was Scott Lindsay's tactical set-up on the night?
05:07 He's been superb over the two legs, hasn't he?
05:09 Yes, and like I said, they've been doing it all season. I think these two legs highlighted the amazing job
05:17 he's done. Like I said, they out-fought them with an F and out-fought them with a TH as well.
05:24 I think it was a tactical masterclass. He wanted to be aggressive and in both games they scored within
05:31 a couple of minutes, in the first five minutes. I think that was absolutely key because the first game
05:37 in October, because remember from the first game, that Max Dean rounded Corey O'Doyle's Will Wright
05:42 clearance when it was nil-nil. If that had gone in, who knows how this would have ended up.
05:47 I still think Crawley could have won over the two legs but it could have been a completely different story.
05:51 But then Liam Kelly scored straight away and I think that knocked the stuff in out of them.
05:55 Like I said, the J Williams goal did exactly the same. I think it was just how aggressive Crawley were.
06:03 Like we said, they've been like it all season. Scott Lindsay said after the game, he's never going to change
06:07 how he sets up his team. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But this time it really did work.
06:13 I don't know, like Sam said, I think it might have been a little bit of a mental block for MK Dons
06:21 in the playoffs. They've been there five times now, maybe six, and never got to Wembley.
06:26 They lost every one. I think Crawley might have played on that a little bit and just aggressive.
06:33 I don't know if it was a plan but they've had the fans on side all season but just geeing the fans up
06:42 every time there was a tackle, every time they scored, every time Corey O'Day made a save, Will Wright.
06:47 They just geeing the fans up all the time and I think that had a huge part in it as well.
06:52 But the tactics and all that, it all comes down to Scott Lindsay and his team.
06:56 I know he will give credit to everyone else as well but he is the focal point and he has just been fantastic.
07:04 I've been raving about him all season, just how great he is to speak to.
07:08 But seeing how he's got this side playing and winning is just incredible.
07:15 We're going to talk more about the final itself in the second half of this podcast
07:19 but how crucial is it that Scott Lindsay sticks to that plan of aggression in the player final
07:25 and not overthink it in terms of his set-up?
07:29 Is that to me? Sorry.
07:30 He's engaged, yes.
07:31 Yeah, sorry. Oh yeah, he has to. They have to stick to it. I did ask yesterday,
07:36 is there this thing where you go to Wembley and you think, "Oh, does it play on your mind?"
07:42 and you think, "Do I have to do anything different?" but he was just like, "No."
07:45 They're trying to keep training as normal as possible this week.
07:50 Yes, they're talking about going to Wembley but they're not saying, "Oh wow, we're playing at Wembley."
07:54 I think he's playing it down a little bit.
07:57 They know it's a big occasion but when it comes to the football side of things,
08:01 it's just another game for them.
08:03 I think it wouldn't surprise me if Crawley go out and get an early goal
08:08 and settle the nerve straight away because the way they played against MK Dons,
08:12 they'll do the same against the crew. Crew are a very different side.
08:16 They obviously beat Crawley twice this season already so there will be that element
08:23 but I think Scott Lindsay, they won't change a thing.
08:26 They'll go out and do what they did against MK Dons hopefully and end up winning.
08:31 Well, fingers crossed. We're sticking with Lindsay.
08:34 Sam, you've mentioned it. It does seem a bit daft that he wasn't even nominated
08:37 for League Two Man of the Season. Does it now, off the back of those two performances?
08:42 Absolutely. Just farcical really. It's going to make the decision makers look really silly.
08:49 Already has done but even more so if they were to get promoted because at the end of the day,
08:53 they were the favourites to go down.
08:55 Everyone, including us, I think, didn't expect them to have a fantastic season.
09:01 It didn't necessarily go down but certainly where they've ended up this season
09:04 was beyond any fan's wildest dreams.
09:06 I think when you consider how poor it was last season and how close to reputation they were.
09:11 Obviously, all the talk was about how they did not sign anyone of real league experience
09:16 but obviously it's the non-league and people just wondering how that's going to work out.
09:20 All the talk was about finishing. They're going to have the worst ever points tally.
09:25 I think, as we mentioned before, the Crawley Town players have remembered that
09:29 and it's been in the back of their minds all season about proving people wrong
09:33 and they really have done. I think Scott himself has probably had that in his mind as well
09:37 and just really trying to prove what he can do and why he's so highly rated.
09:42 He's got the best out of each and every single one of the players this season.
09:46 His management skills just aren't there. They're the absolute best.
09:50 It seems like the players just love playing under him.
09:53 He really could have done a better job in the circumstances that he's had I think.
09:57 To not even be nominated for Man of the Year is ludicrous, really.
10:02 Ludicrous. He is ludicrous.
10:04 On that point, I asked Dion Conroy about it yesterday and I said, I framed the question around
10:10 it was just before the Mansfield game, the nominations were announced
10:15 and it was obviously Nigel Clough, Mike Williamson, Lee Bell.
10:18 So the Mansfield, MK Don's crew. The very next day, or no, it was two days later,
10:24 they played the Mansfield away, beat them 4-1. So there you go, Nigel Clough, have that.
10:29 And then obviously in these playoffs, Mike Williamson, MK Don's,
10:32 nominated for Manager of the Year, 8-1 record everything.
10:35 Now we've got Lee Bell in the final. So hopefully he can complete the trilogy.
10:39 But I said to Dion, as I framed the question to that Dion Conroy,
10:42 Dion Conroy just laughed and just said, it's unbelievable.
10:45 He wasn't even shortlisted. He said he should have won it.
10:50 I mean, Nigel Clough's got promotion and he actually did win it.
10:53 He's got automatic promotion, so you can't deny he's done a great job.
10:58 But in slightly different circumstances, I would say,
11:02 from what Lindsay has done and achieved with this group of players.
11:07 Yeah, well Sam mentioned it, that he, post-match, Lindsay said that the Reds
11:11 had proved a lot of people wrong and we've already highlighted a myriad of reasons
11:14 why they've done that. But have they really thrived off of that, haven't they?
11:18 That expectation of people looking at little old Crawley, haven't they, this season, Mark?
11:22 Yeah, both Danilo Orsi and Scott Lindsay both said afterwards that it's fuelled them.
11:28 And Scott Lindsay actually banged everyone who backed them to go down.
11:32 Yeah, it's fuelled them. I mean, I get the idea, even if people didn't back them to go down,
11:38 they would have still liked to have been seen as the underdogs.
11:41 I think they quite like that tag and they can, because they have gone under the radar a lot this season.
11:47 In certain terms of attention from media and stuff like that.
11:51 We've obviously given them press every week because that's our job.
11:56 [SIREN]
11:59 [MUSIC]
12:06 The last two press conferences I've been to, it hasn't just been in the little room with me
12:10 and the club media, it's been with Sky Sports, ITV, BBC, everyone.
12:15 And it's been great. And yeah, it's great to see that they are finally getting that attention.
12:22 And it's because of their performances, but it's not like they've suddenly changed
12:27 and become this really amazing team that play great football.
12:29 It's only because it was live on Sky that everybody's really sitting up now and taking notice.
12:33 And I'm delighted that Scott's now starting to get the attention that he deserves
12:38 and the team and the players. But yeah, it was interesting.
12:42 They both used the same phrasing. It's fuelled us this year, both Orsi and Lindsay after the game.
12:48 So it's something they've obviously spoken about. But yeah, great. Great. Prove them all wrong.
12:53 Well, we've spoken quite a lot about Scott Lindsay, but Sam, which Reds players stood out for you at NK Dons?
13:01 It must have been incredibly difficult to choose a man of the match from those group of players that were on the pitch.
13:06 Yeah, definitely a difficult one to choose. I think each and every one of the players just played out their skins.
13:12 But I think you can't look past Danilo Orsi to score a hat-trick on the occasion,
13:16 as Mark's already touched on. That first goal especially was just expertly taken.
13:21 And the second goal was just after an absolutely superb team move as well.
13:26 And it was just a joy to watch, kind of the one-touch passing, the little flick from Nolos and Liam Kelly with the assist.
13:34 And Liam Kelly, for me, was a standout in the first leg, and he just followed that up again in the second leg.
13:39 And there's just so much quality in this team.
13:42 I suppose just the worry is that now that they've had this acclaim and been on the TV,
13:48 I think other clubs are going to take notice in the high leagues.
13:51 I think you can definitely see the quality of the players that Crawley have.
13:55 They could be playing in even the Championship, some of them, or the high end of League One.
14:00 So hopefully Crawley can keep hold of them and tie some of them down to longer-term contracts,
14:06 because they really have just showed what they're all about and really done it on the big stage when it matters the most.
14:11 And hopefully they can do it again at Wembley.
14:14 I can't see why they can't, really. Playing like they were at MK Dons, they could beat anyone.
14:20 I'm sorry, I just wanted to mention Jay Williams as well.
14:23 He'd only scored one goal all year, and then he scores in each leg of the playoffs, and he was absolutely brilliant.
14:29 But what impressed me, because he's obviously had his disciplinary issues this year with the amount of bookings he's picked up,
14:36 and Scott Lindsay said a few times he's crossed the line a little bit more than he'd like him to.
14:41 He loves how he played Scott Lindsay, but he just wants to hold back a couple of times.
14:45 But there was that incident where Max Dean stamped on him, and I can say that because the replay showed him.
14:51 If that was a VAR, he would have been sent off in a second.
14:54 Maybe Jay Williams at the beginning of the season might have had that.
14:58 It could have happened quite early in the game.
15:00 And maybe earlier in the season, he might have reacted a bit more to it and tried to get revenge.
15:05 I might be doing him a huge disservice there.
15:07 But I think he's matured so much throughout the season, and he rightfully got the Players' Player of the Season at the awards.
15:14 He had been absolutely fantastic.
15:16 And to score two goals and play that pivotal role, it was just typical of how Scott Lindsay set up the team.
15:22 That first goal, how he pressed in the midfield, won the tackle, went through and then tackled the ball into the goal.
15:29 But I think Jay Williams deserves huge credit as well for his performances over the two legs.
15:35 There was a nice line in the post-match interview I saw with Danilo Orsi, who said that he'd never played at Wembley,
15:41 but had been there to watch his club Arsenal in action.
15:43 And Mark, I imagine that for many of these players, I must admit I don't know all the players inside out,
15:47 this will probably be the first time they're playing at Wembley,
15:50 and probably a culmination of quite a few boyhood dreams, I imagine.
15:53 Yeah, we spoke to Dion Conroy yesterday. He hadn't played there.
15:57 And actually, I think everyone we'd spoken to hadn't played there.
16:02 I think somebody mentioned to me that Ben Gladwitt had, but obviously he's had a long-term injury and he won't be playing.
16:08 But yeah, it's going to be a huge day for a lot of people.
16:12 Most Dion Conroy said about how he used to go there and watch games,
16:16 because they used to get tickets when he was in the Chelsea Academy and stuff,
16:19 but he'd never actually played on the pitch.
16:21 So it's going to be a huge moment for all of those players.
16:25 And I think we've said it again and again, Lloydy Lollos was playing for Oxford City last year.
16:31 Jay Williams was playing for Brackley Town or Brambley last year.
16:36 Just who would have thought that they would be playing at Wembley in the biggest League Two game of the season?
16:42 Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
16:45 And finally, Sam, I know we're probably putting you under a lot of pressure here,
16:49 but where will that performance rank amongst Crawley's all-time greatest performances?
16:53 It must be up there, that MK Don's performance.
16:56 I can't pick out one that's better, really.
16:58 I was discussing with Mark after the game, I've not seen Crawley score that many goals
17:02 and just look so kind of... he could have scored more.
17:06 It was just relentless.
17:08 And it was kind of that feeling as well that everything was going right,
17:11 even when they gave away the penalty, you just knew he was going to save it.
17:14 You kind of had that element, there was so much confidence, so much...
17:19 I've never experienced anything like that, watching Crawley Town for years and years.
17:24 Obviously, you look back on the game at Old Trafford and they played out the skins that day.
17:29 They deserved to win, in all honesty.
17:31 They were the best team on the day.
17:33 So I think, obviously, the run-up to that FA Cup game,
17:37 obviously, that was the biggest in the history of the club before this.
17:42 But I think this has to take top spot now.
17:44 I think I can't look past it.
17:46 You've got the Leeds match as well, obviously.
17:49 Of course, of course.
17:51 But this, I think for the magnitude of what this game meant,
17:56 I think you're right, this has to be the greatest performance.
18:00 And even the first leg was maybe in second place because it was just so dominant
18:04 and killed the tie-off in that first leg.
18:07 Yes, I suppose that Leeds match as well, that's up there, isn't it?
18:10 Last season, I think the only shame for that was behind closed doors, wasn't it?
18:13 The fans weren't there to see that one because it was just incredible
18:16 when they reached to play Leeds off the park on that day as well.
18:20 So, yes, I think they turned up for the big occasion when the cameras were on
18:24 and they really do show what they're all about and they've done it yet again.
18:28 Hopefully, yes, one more game, they can get the job done.
18:32 Yes, fingers crossed they can top that performance in the League 2 player final.
18:35 Thank you very much, chaps.
18:36 In part two, we will reflect on how Crew Alexandra got to the player final
18:41 and give you some early team news.
18:43 We've reflected on how the play-off semis went for the Reds, Mark,
18:47 but how did their play-off final rivals, Crew Alexandra,
18:51 make it to the Wembley showpiece?
18:54 Yes, well, they, yes, I mean, no fair play to them
18:57 because nobody gave them a hope in hell, did they?
19:00 Even going into the first leg, Doncaster were the team to beat in these play-offs.
19:05 Everybody just thought, wow, Doncaster are going to win it
19:07 because of the momentum they brought into it.
19:10 Then after the first leg, at Crew, Doncaster won 2-0.
19:14 And, yes, it was even more, oh, right, that's it, yes, Doncaster have won it,
19:18 kind of thing, but then incredible on Friday night.
19:22 I mean, I must admit, I completely forgot about it,
19:24 just assuming it was a foregone conclusion.
19:26 And when, I think it was Steve Bone of this parish,
19:29 he texted me and said, "Crew are through."
19:32 And I was like, really? And I had to look it up.
19:34 And, yes, it was a nice little Sussex angle in there as well
19:37 because Miki Dimitriou scored the first goal after six minutes.
19:41 And then it was a Maxwell-owned goal for Doncaster in the 16th minute.
19:45 So they got back-level turns within 16 minutes.
19:48 And then it looks like they just defended after that.
19:51 And they only had the two shots on target the whole game.
19:55 And those two shots counted.
19:57 So, yes, amazing performance from Crew.
20:01 And, yes, we talk about momentum.
20:03 Crawley have obviously got huge momentum after what they did.
20:06 But Crew's tails will be well up.
20:09 And, yes, as we said before, they beat Crawley twice this season.
20:12 So who knows what their...
20:15 Yes, who knows how it's going to go,
20:16 but it's going to be a completely different game to the MK Dons game, I think.
20:20 Yes, Mark's mentioned it there, Sam, that Crew have had the better of Crawley this season.
20:25 But can we glean anything from these games going into Sunday?
20:28 I don't think so. I think it's a one-off game.
20:33 I think it will be all about who can manage the occasion better.
20:36 I mean, if you look at the results during the league season,
20:39 Crew obviously won both of them.
20:41 Obviously, they won 4-2 away at the Broadfield Stadium in October.
20:45 Obviously, a crazy game, that one.
20:48 And obviously, they won 1-0 at home in February.
20:52 So judging by that, it's a bit worrying for Crawley.
20:55 They lost twice to their opponents at Wembley.
20:58 But as I say, I think that completely goes out the window.
21:01 And I think Crawley have built up such momentum and form since those games
21:05 that you can't really look too much at that, really.
21:08 And I think, yes, when you look at the Wembley pitch and how big it is,
21:13 and you see it, I think that suits Crawley's style of play more so than Crew.
21:17 I think they face such expansive, attractive football.
21:20 And obviously, as we saw at MK Dons as well,
21:23 they've got a really top-class stadium, and they played really well there.
21:28 So there's a good little bit of practice, I guess,
21:31 for playing on that kind of pitch.
21:33 And I think, yes, they're definitely, I'm thinking, in the best position
21:36 with the confidence of coming through with such a convincing scoreline
21:39 and breaking a record in the process.
21:42 And obviously, Crew will be well up for it as well.
21:44 I think they'll be just thrilled with the way they went through, obviously,
21:48 after being 2-0 down, and everyone broke them off.
21:50 So I think it's all set up to be a brilliant game.
21:53 But yes, I don't think you can look at the league results
21:55 as any kind of indicator for how it's going to go, really.
21:58 I think it's all going to be on how they handle the occasion on the day
22:02 in front of a huge crowd at Wembley.
22:05 Absolutely. And who are the key Crew men to look out for, Sam?
22:09 And who do you think could potentially cause Crawley the most problems,
22:12 in your view?
22:13 Well, I think Miki Dimitra is one that we've just spoken about.
22:16 I think Scott Lindsay has actually said that he wanted to sign him
22:19 when he was leaving Newport.
22:21 And he's obviously, he went to Crew, and he's been brilliant for them.
22:24 As a defender, he's such a goal threat as well.
22:26 He's scored 10 goals this season, joined second for the club.
22:31 And he's just eight goals behind Elliot Nevitt, who has scored 18 goals.
22:35 So it's another real player to watch out for.
22:38 Not as many as Orsi, though.
22:40 Not as many as Orsi, of course.
22:42 No, still behind him, of course.
22:45 Yeah, Courtney Baker-Richardson as well, he's on 10 goals.
22:48 So yeah, I mean, they've definitely got goal threats there
22:51 that Crawley need to be wary of.
22:54 And the Elty crew, like Crawley, are there for a reason at the end of the day,
22:58 and they can't just be written off at all.
23:01 So Crawley are obviously the team that are making the headlines.
23:04 The crew will probably quietly be confident and prepared for the game
23:07 as they go into it.
23:09 And they definitely have the tools available to cause some damage for Crawley
23:12 on the day.
23:14 And Crawley, yeah, but I think they'll be well prepared for it.
23:18 They've done the homework and everything the crew can cause.
23:22 So yeah, it should be a really good game.
23:25 What's the mood like in the Crawley camp ahead of the final?
23:28 You spoke to both Scot Lindsay and Deon Conroy, as mentioned.
23:31 How are they viewing things ahead of the Wembley game?
23:34 Yeah, I thought they were both really relaxed yesterday, actually.
23:37 And like I said earlier, I think they are downplaying the occasion.
23:41 And I think, yes, of course they're excited,
23:45 but they're very focused and very prepared.
23:48 Yeah, Scot Lindsay said, yeah, they want to downplay it,
24:10 but they obviously don't want to take away what the occasion actually is
24:14 and means to the players.
24:16 But he said they've done a lot of tactical stuff in the last couple of days.
24:20 They're really, yeah, really focused on, yeah, just doing the job
24:24 and treating it as another game.
24:26 So I mean, all season there's just been this quiet confidence.
24:31 I mean, Danilo Orsi said last, and in the press conference
24:34 before the first leg, he thought about Wembley after about six or seven games in
24:39 because he realized this team were doing something.
24:42 And Dion Conroy said he was chatting with the players quite early on in the season.
24:47 Yeah, we can get to Wembley, you know, and they've got that.
24:51 And Scot Lindsay talks about the law of attraction.
24:54 The more you talk about something, the more something is likely to happen.
24:57 And he's been encouraging talking about getting to Wembley all season
25:01 and it's come to fruition.
25:02 So yeah, they're well-prepared. They're fully focused.
25:06 But I think there's a real excitement there as well to walk out
25:10 in front of 15,000 fans. I mean, it's going to be incredible.
25:14 Absolutely. Any injury news to reveal ahead of the game, Sam?
25:17 How are the Reds stacked?
25:19 Yeah, I think in Crawley, they've got a clean bill of health,
25:22 I think, going into the game.
25:23 I think there's no notable injuries to report in that sense.
25:26 And that's a real positive as well.
25:28 They've probably managed to keep their players fit and firing for a long period of time.
25:31 Obviously, Ben Gladwin's obviously missed extended periods during the season.
25:35 He's obviously not available.
25:36 But I think, yeah, obviously, they've got such options as well.
25:39 I think even Nick Scharuda has been not able to get a start for a long time.
25:43 But they've got him, obviously, to come in if need be.
25:47 But I think, yeah, the problem is Scott Lindsay has found his kind of perfect
25:51 starting XI that you can trust and rely on.
25:54 He's obviously reluctant to tweak it too much.
25:56 And Scharuda's definitely been a victim of that after being, obviously,
25:59 such a key player for so long.
26:01 But, yeah, I think there's obviously lots of options that Crawley can go with
26:04 if they do decide to change things.
26:06 But I can't imagine they will.
26:07 I think they'll just be continuing exactly where they left off at NK Dons
26:11 and will be fit and firing, ready to go for the biggest game in the club's history.
26:17 Absolutely.
26:19 I understand there have been plenty of people wanting to wish Crawley well
26:22 going into Sunday's final.
26:23 Mark, you spoke to a pair of Crawley legends during the week, didn't you?
26:26 I did, yeah.
26:27 I caught up with Matt Tubbs and Sergio Torres, both players.
26:30 They played in the famous Old Trafford game.
26:33 And they were part of Steve Evans side that went up the league
26:36 from non-league to league two, then league one in successive seasons.
26:40 I mean, Matt Tubbs left halfway through the league two season
26:43 when they got promoted.
26:44 But yeah, they were both part of that amazing squad.
26:47 And yeah, they, they've both been so impressed.
26:51 They both said how impressed they have been with Scott Lindsay
26:53 and what the players have achieved this year.
26:56 I mean, yeah, Sergio Torres says he watches them whenever he can.
27:00 He lives in middle of middle York and now he coaches them.
27:02 Now he coaches football over there.
27:04 And he says on a Saturday afternoon, he'll watch all his old,
27:07 all three of his old teams, Wiccan Wanderers, Peterborough
27:11 and all that and Crawley Town.
27:13 And he keeps up with them to see how, yeah, to see how they get on.
27:17 But he said he's been so impressed and Matt Tubbs was the same.
27:20 But the good news is Sergio Torres is going to be at Wembley on Sunday
27:24 because the EFL invited him as a Crawley legend.
27:27 So he's going to be there working the hospitality and being live on Skype,
27:33 being interviewed and that.
27:34 So he's a great character, Sergio Torres.
27:37 And it's great that he's been able to talk to him.
27:39 You can see my interview with him on Sussexworld.co.uk.
27:43 It's a really good interview and he's got so much charisma.
27:46 It's so, he's great to talk to.
27:48 And yeah, it'd be really good to see him there.
27:51 And hopefully they can, yeah, hopefully he can inspire the team
27:55 to pull off a great victory.
27:57 - Absolutely.
27:58 And he also spoke to Crawley co-owner Preston Johnson in the week, Mark.
28:01 He must be proud of everyone at the club for getting this far
28:04 and getting to the final.
28:05 - Absolutely, yeah.
28:06 Obviously, we all know it's well documented the first season
28:09 didn't quite go as Preston Johnson and Eben Smith and the rest of Wagmead hoped.
28:14 And when I spoke to him, yeah, I sensed a bit of emotion
28:18 in the voice kind of thing.
28:19 He said he realized there was the joy back in the Crawley Town fans
28:25 after the Grimsby game when the crowd fans invaded the pitch.
28:28 They were all singing.
28:29 Preston Johnson was stood behind Scott Lindsay and the players in the stand
28:33 as they were all chanting and that.
28:35 And I think he said that's when he realized the fans have got joy
28:39 in their club again.
28:40 I mean, a lot of the fans have had joy most of the season,
28:43 but he, yeah, he feels responsible.
28:46 Preston Johnson feels responsible for what went wrong last year
28:50 and for the fans not enjoying Crawley Town Football Club.
28:55 So to have that turnaround for him is he's got a bit of peace of mind now.
28:59 And I think they deserve credit, Preston Johnson,
29:04 mainly for going more in the background, given that.
29:09 I mean, last year, I think I was probably seen as a little bit
29:11 of a Wagmead apologist.
29:13 I wasn't overly critical of them.
29:16 They made some huge mistakes and they know that and they've admitted that.
29:19 And they made some huge judgment errors.
29:22 But this year, they've backed Scott Lindsay.
29:25 They've let Scott Lindsay get on with it.
29:27 They've stayed in the background and look what it's achieved.
29:30 So you've got to give them some credit there as well.
29:33 And yeah, he's very excited about the game.
29:35 They will all be there on Sunday.
29:37 And yeah, he just said that everyone at this point of the season now
29:42 is giving everyone else credit.
29:44 But he said Scott Lindsay deserves a ton of credit,
29:47 but everyone else at the club, there's such a familial feel around the club
29:52 and everybody supports each other.
29:54 Everyone backs each other.
29:56 And hopefully that will be what inspires this Crawley team to win on Sunday.
30:02 Yeah, you mentioned the change in the past seasons.
30:06 What would you say has been the biggest change
30:08 between last season and this season?
30:10 What has brought about that change, do you think?
30:14 I don't know really. I don't think there's one specific thing.
30:17 I suppose the main thing is letting Scott Lindsay do what he wants to do.
30:22 He was allowed to clear out who were seen as key players.
30:27 The likes of Ashley Nadeson.
30:29 I mean, Tom Nicholls left before that, before Lindsay came.
30:33 But Glenn Morris, et cetera.
30:35 Tony Craig, George Francombe.
30:37 All these senior players that fans loved all left.
30:41 And they backed Scott Lindsay.
30:44 They gave him all the data.
30:45 These are all the players we think from non-league that can do well.
30:48 And then they let Scott Lindsay say, "Right, OK, I've looked at them.
30:52 This is who I want."
30:53 And, yeah, you only have to look at what's happening now
30:56 to know that they got it absolutely right.
30:58 So I think the fact that they've just backed him so much
31:02 and I think the fact that they have stayed in the background
31:05 and not been public, I think that has had a huge--
31:08 because it hasn't been a distraction.
31:10 The fans found them a distraction last season.
31:12 And they haven't been a distraction at all.
31:14 And, yeah, I think that is probably those two main reasons.
31:18 Letting Scott Lindsay do what he needed to do and not being a distraction.
31:23 Well, over 15,000 Reds are expected to be at Wembley to cheer on Crawley
31:27 at Wembley.
31:28 The supporters have really turned up to show their support, haven't they, Sam?
31:31 It's amazing numbers, isn't it, the amount of tickets they've sold so far.
31:35 Yeah, absolutely.
31:36 An unprecedented number of tickets, really.
31:38 And obviously these kind of occasions are obviously going to attract
31:41 maybe fans of Crawley that haven't been there for a few years maybe.
31:45 Or, yeah, have obviously haven't watched them for a while.
31:48 And obviously if you're going to Wembley,
31:50 they're going to be obviously attracted for that reason.
31:53 I suppose some people might argue it's kind of the wrong mentality
31:57 to only go when these kind of games come up.
32:00 But at the end of the day, the more fans in the stadium,
32:02 the better it is for the club, really,
32:05 to get that level of exposure and the support behind them
32:09 on such a huge occasion can only help, really.
32:13 I think it's just fantastic they've sold so many tickets so quickly as well.
32:17 And, yeah, just really, really exciting, really.
32:20 I suppose there's so much optimism and excitement building around the club
32:24 and the game, so it can't come quick enough, I'm sure, for the players.
32:27 I'm just wondering how they're kind of feeling ahead of it, really,
32:29 because they probably can't believe it either.
32:32 So, yeah, obviously a lot of excitement.
32:34 And, yeah, I think Scotty's probably got a job in his hands
32:37 to kind of keep everyone calm and focused on the job at hand.
32:41 But he, of all people, can get that done.
32:44 I'm confident the players can remain level-headed as well
32:48 and just get the job done as they happen to do.
32:51 Right, moving on to the game itself then.
32:53 Mark, how do you see the game going and what is your score prediction?
32:57 It will be a tight game, as these affairs always are,
33:00 although we said that about the play-off semi-final.
33:03 But I think Crawley have got enough.
33:07 I think they're just so much confidence in that side.
33:11 And Scott Lindsay said it months ago.
33:14 If we get to Wembley, the way we play on that pitch,
33:18 it will suit us down to the ground.
33:19 So I see Crawley winning and I think it will be 2-3-1.
33:24 And I'd love to see Clydie Lollos just score a worldy top corner at Wembley.
33:30 Can you imagine what the scenes would be like if he does?
33:33 Because he is responsible for G'ing up the fans a lot during games.
33:36 He absolutely loves it.
33:39 And I'd love to see him score and celebrate in front of those
33:43 in excess of 15,000 fans.
33:46 So, yeah, I won't go vague. I'm going to go 3-1, 3-1 Crawley.
33:51 And Sam Morton, same question to you.
33:53 How do you see the game panning out and what's your score prediction?
33:56 Yeah, Mark took the words out of my mouth.
33:58 I was going to say 3-1, 3-1 to Crawley.
34:00 I think they're definitely in the best position going into it.
34:03 Orsi's in the goals and, as Mark said, Lollos as well has been such a great form.
34:07 And just such confidence as well from hearing the little flick for the goal again at MK.
34:14 He's just a class player.
34:17 I think one that Crawley hopefully will be able to keep hold of for the foreseeable.
34:22 And Liam Kelly will be so crucial, as I mentioned before.
34:24 He's been absolutely phenomenal for Crawley.
34:27 And especially in that first leg against St. Huidon, he just absolutely ran the show.
34:31 So hopefully he can do the same thing again.
34:33 I'm confident they will. They'll be at their best and they'll win 3-1.
34:38 Brilliant stuff. Well, thank you very much for your time, chaps.
34:40 And it goes without saying, best of luck to Crawley Town on Sunday.
34:44 You can follow all the action on sussexworld.co.uk.
34:48 We'll be covering everything we've talked about today.
34:50 And you can watch more excellent videos, and I'm assuming there'll be lots of videos from the game,
34:54 on shotsdv.com as well as Freeview Journal 276.
34:58 Thank you very much for listening to this podcast.
35:00 Hopefully you enjoy the rest of your week.
35:02 And best of luck to Crawley Town at Wembley.
35:04 Cheers, guys. Cheers.
35:06 Cheers.
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