Crawley Town drew 0-0 at League One champions Birmingham City on Good Friday. Here is Scott Lindsey's thoughts on the game
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00:00Scott, here after a goalless draw at Birmingham, how are your thoughts on the game?
00:05Yeah, really proud of the team actually, I thought we were brilliant today, I thought we were excellent,
00:09I thought we got the game plan not far off spot on.
00:13I thought we actually probably had the biggest chance of the game when Roosh-Netburne Murphy
00:17blazed it over the bar, probably could have been a bit more composed in that moment
00:21to put the ball in the net, but listen, another day he scores that.
00:27I'm really proud of the team, I've come for one or two at half-time,
00:33because I felt that we were really close to the game plan, but not quite there.
00:39I felt that we were at times pretending to press, where don't pretend, go all out, go after them,
00:47because they will make passes at the back, they're a possession-based team,
00:50they will play possession from the goalkeeper and they'll play into the pivots
00:54to play out to the centre-halves and play little hook passes, and I wanted us to be a little more aggressive with that.
01:02And I thought we did it brilliantly in the second half, which Roosh-Netburne Murphy's chance come from that.
01:08But no, I can't moan at the players, they were outstanding against a top top side by the way,
01:14they're a championship side, really clear to see that.
01:20But I thought we were excellent, in terms of possession ourselves, I don't know what the stats are,
01:26I would say it was probably in their favour, but I do know that we were very controlled
01:30in very large moments of the game where we played out from the back.
01:34You know, I know Alfie May was kind of pressing Dion, then pressing the keeper,
01:38and we were picking him off and we played through the thirds really cleanly and efficiently.
01:44Yeah, I'm really proud, I thought we were very good today, I think it's a very good point,
01:48a top place, you know, it's a proper place this, a hard place to come.
01:52And it's a good point here, there's a good springboard going into those last three games.
01:56The results haven't completely gone your way, but you're still in touch, aren't you?
02:00So it's still well alive.
02:01Yeah, well, listen, the next three games are the biggest.
02:04We wanted to come away from this game with something, we have, so tick in the box.
02:09We now need to go and do what we've got to do.
02:11We've got to get down the road, recover the players and get ready for Monday.
02:15But yeah, listen, I'm proud of the players, I thought we were excellent today.
02:19Yeah, I can't ask any more.
02:23Yeah, I was really pleased with it.
02:26I liked the fact that where I was sitting in the stadium,
02:30I could see the game plan really clearly, I could see the shape of the team.
02:35It was actually a really good afternoon.
02:37Yeah, and sitting up higher there, it gives you a different vantage point, doesn't it?
02:41How does that make you see the game differently?
02:43It's just clearer. I like it, I've always liked it, you know,
02:47the times I've been suspended before, which is a few too many now.
02:51I've enjoyed it.
02:52I sat next to my partner and I sat next to Tobias as well.
02:56I didn't speak to my partner all game, by the way.
02:59I was focused on the game and I was obviously in communications with the bench
03:05and constantly writing notes.
03:09But it was so clear, you can see the shape of the team really clearly.
03:15And I just felt that the one thing for me was I think that we could have pressed him hard.
03:19I think we could have come after him a little bit more.
03:21And at times when we did it, the keeper didn't have an answer, he booted it.
03:24And because we're so kind of like man for man at the back.
03:27And so I back my defenders to defend their moments, which they did brilliantly.
03:31I thought Charlie Bach was outstanding today, as was Dion, as was Radders as well.
03:35They didn't really have an answer when we come after him and pressed him.
03:40There was at times when we didn't do it properly and pretended to press
03:44was the times that they cut through us really cleanly, which I wanted us to be more aggressive.
03:49Yeah, and a word for Toby Stewart, obviously he made that great save in the first minute for Stansfield.
03:54But he was superb throughout the whole game, wasn't he?
03:56Yeah, I didn't think we started the game particularly well in the first five minutes.
04:00I thought we were off it.
04:01I know obviously Ben Radcliffe started on the right-hand side
04:05and I saw Stansfield got in behind him and down the sides of him a few times early on in the game.
04:10I thought, right, we need to make a change there.
04:12So I just changed Charlie over because I know Charlie's got that little bit more experience
04:18than probably Ben has and I thought that maybe Charlie can deal with Stansfield better than in that moment.
04:24But yeah, listen, I thought Toby was brilliant in goal.
04:28I thought not just his shot stopping but also the way he had the ball and the decisions that he made.
04:34I thought Dion really helped him with the goal kicks.
04:37I thought we looked really good playing out from the back today
04:39and a lot of credit has got to go to Toby with that.
04:44Yeah, and when you see a performance like that, I know when you came in you said after the first days of training
04:49you said, how is this team down at the bottom?
04:50But when you see a performance like that it makes you wonder even more, doesn't it?
04:53Yeah, I think the players give me everything today.
04:55I thought they got the game plan spot on.
04:58I just wanted that little bit more in the first half and not to get shy by the fact
05:03that we're playing in front of 27,000 against Birmingham who were the champions.
05:06I don't care.
05:07I wanted just to go out there and really show us.
05:11It's important that we showed us today and I think we did that in the end.
05:14You know, I'm proud.
05:16I'm really proud of the team.
05:18The fans were outstanding.
05:20The disappointment for me about being suspended was not to be able to go and engage with them before and after.
05:25I tried to afterwards it kind of snuck out and clapped them and a few of them saw me.
05:30So, yeah, that was just a disappointment for that.
05:33But like, yeah, brilliant.
05:34It sang all the way through the game.
05:35The numbers that they brought.
05:37Incredible to say that we are where we are and they're sticking with the players like that.
05:40Brilliant.
05:41Well done, fans.
05:42By the way, brilliant.
05:43Great. Thanks, Scott.