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Crawley Town 0 v 0 Forest Green Rovers
SkyBet League Two
Saturday, 24th April 2021 Kick-off 15:00

Voting was locked for this match at midnight on Sunday 25th April but you may still add your mini match reports. Note that members and non-members alike were able to vote.


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Your Crawley Town v Forest Green Rovers Match Reports

Mullet added 20:29 - Feb 22

Coming back to Leicester was like visiting the scene of a crime. This week will have seen Mick and fan alike reconstructing the mauling of last season. Trepidation and talk of that game heightened by the realisation that the Foxes are in far better form and far better shape than they were that day.

Flat 442 was the lineup and the telling style Town met the champions elect with. Oddly as the ball crossed the centre spot Berra stood at RB and Chambers inside of him. The threat of Dyer down the left all too real perhaps threw up this quirk which lasted all of five minutes. Tabb sat centrally next to Skuse while Hunt and Green sat on the sides as Nouble and Murphy battled up top.

It didn't take long for last season to flash back across faces soon nestled in hands as Gerken dummied a soft ball back. Slapping onto his back before diving on it as it rolled towards the goal line. Little pressure from Vardy all too ready to capitalise.

An earlyish snap shot from distance by Skuse bent far beyond the post as Green, Cressy and Hunt all nudged a Nouble knock down for the midfielder to smash, bending wide was small potatoes compared to Leicester's ability to chip away at us. Morgan inbetween a defensive covering masterclass hammered a corner downward to force Gerken into an excellent early stop highlight the gulf in class of the two sides and their chances.

Home fans will be pleased with the first half and it was a 45 where Town ceded any chance of taking something from the game, albeit with little fight and less of a fighting chance. Nouble provided no material for those prone to verbal diahhorea, a slurry of ignorance hurled his way regardless as he won header and flick time and again from Town's clearances long, short and all between.

The difference told in the rare times midfielders were close enough to use the ball. Both the good feet of Murphy and good deal of grief the front two gave Leicester counted for little in little spells. In a half where once again the curious case of Cresswell's missing form went unsolved, it was to be a predictable collapse from Town. But from elsewhere.

True Blue Jay Tabb got himself in a flap needlessly. All of 8 yards from goal he casually went for the central midfielder's default and tried to retain possession, forgetting everything else including his position. You'd hope had a defender been there he'd have row z'ed it. Tabb however left Gerken with a hospital ball as Vardy mopped up. Gleefully skipping past Gerken to break the deadlock. Cheap? We gave it away.

The league leaders' movement was balletic throughout. Town were far from the lumbering mess of a season ago, but still we were nowhere near limber enough. Left flat footed and not just down their left flank as time and again Dyer was repelled by the close countenance of Green and Chambo pumping more than fists to keep the speedy winger at bay. Vardy was repellent in his histrionics every time he was given offside or allowed to dive over a challenge. It was surprisingly down the right where time and again they looked to punish Town.

The frustratingly anonymous Cressy had a moment to make a name for himself with the standout chance of the half. Cutting in from the flank he whipped a shot over the bending Schmichael. There was nothing rotten in the save of Denmark's young keeper. Tipping well in response to a tasty morsel served up by Town's left back.

In the meantime it was the constant doubling down Aaron's side which would prove to prick Town's frailties. Hunt often off the pace and off the wrong man in the first half allowed Cresswell too little protection. De Laet and Knockaert merely tip tapped on Town's back door. A covering Berra was unlucky not to see the threat out as a cross was cut out by Chambo who came right across the goal only to bounce to De Laet in space on the byline. Unbelievable luck meant Nugent was now unmarked and side footed the side footed pass into an empty net. Town were sinking.

As the half drew to a close there was little artistry from Mick or his men. Hunt put in one lovely cross to offer hope but like many of Town's better moments today and of late, it never met the right target. The wrong bounce too far from the right man to be of real use.

As the half time whistle went many presumed it was high time for a change. To be honest it was hard to see if the rest of our squad were good enough to change much. We'd only wait another quarter of an hour before we found out. Tabb was booked for cynically chopping down a runner in the first half, with that and his generous tendency in mind, he was off and Anderson came on. Green moved in as Leicester looked to pass the game out of Town's reach.

Nouble soon followed to a mixed reaction, the big kid replaced by SEB and immediately the difference told. Now when Town got free thanks to more space from Leicester's relaxed flow of footballing lava, a bubbling sense purpose returned to the away end hoping the game might erupt once more. The former Wolves favourite was no match for the Foxes' Morgan but his lovely hold up play meant Murphy and Anderson could use the wing to get Town going......a bit.

Cresswell had also sent Town hearts sinking further as he crashed into the hoardings and could only move a hand, rapidly signalling injury having chased down Vardy and coming off worse. Down to ten men and on the back foot it seemed a matter of time for the home side to find a third. Chances big and small hinted at the inevitable.

With Cresswell back on his feet and Taylor now on Town were unrecognisable in personnel from the team which began the game, but still cut from the same cloth. The make-do left winger was met eagerly by all. His lack of game time seemingly someone else's fault. His contribution today a mixed bag. Stepping up to slip a free kick wide Tayls showed again he's not shy to scrap but oddly he's not a fit, or fit enough for Mick perhaps.

Cutting in from wide, he sent one drive crashing into the net while his colleagues watched on. It was the side net, but regardless the venom was there even if the killing strike wasn't. Town looked to push Leicester but our skeleton staff lacked muscle to make the home side strain. When some simple passing got Wood up on his own his finish was stroked home. A familiar sh1t sandwich of goals between Nugent's earlier effort to break Ipswich hearts and records left a bitter taste in Town mouths.

Those looking for us to do more than participate may have had a gutful but the lesson was a simple one. Whether twice as good or half as bad as last time, the gap between us and them is vast. In a league so tightly fought, another defeat sees Town move down the table. A stark proof we are some way off the top in every way possible.
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cbower added 21:02 - Feb 22

Mick has rightly said that we were beaten by a better team and the league does not lie - they are streets ahead of us (and almost everybody else too!) What's of more interest though is why this is the case. Movement and forward intent from their midfield and pace in several positions to boot. We are a decent side but those two ingredients are what we are missing most and it will be Mick's job to try to rectify these deficiencies in time for next season.

As expected, Nouble started up top alongside Murphy. Tabb in the middle with Skuse and Green and Hunt occupying the wide midfield berths, the ususal back line and Gerken returning in goal. A healthy away following contributing to a 28K crowd spurred on by the beat of drummer to our left.

The Foxes started quickly and throughout the first half the front two of Vardy and our nemesis Nugent worked incredibly hard, chasing down every ball with real intent and not giving the Town back line any time whatsoever. Town were troubled by the sun and on countless occasions this lead to defenders allowing the ball to bounce and find themselves pressurised by the aforementioned Foxes' strikers, ably assisted by Dyer and Knockaert down the flanks. The wind also seemed to be affecting Town and Gerken's poor handling and suspect kicking gave the table toppers every encouragement to chase every long ball in. Runners from midfield were hard to track but we seemed to have weathered the opening storm. Gerken deserves credit for a good save from Morgan's header. Skuse should have done much better when the ball fell icely to him on the edge of the box but he scuffed the chance well wide. He should be disappointed not to have hit the target. Town had a couple of free kicks which came to nought but on 20 we were the architects of our own downfall. Tabb sought to play the ball back to Gerken but he did not see Vardy. The Fox entered the box, intercepted Tabb's pass and slotted home past a stranded Gerken. I might be being harsh but I was left with the feeling Gerken was a little indecisive but that might be me being unfair to be honest. Home pressure continued with width, pace, movement and confidence all very evident. Surprisingly, however, Gerken had little to actually do. Town forays were sporadic, Murphy and Nouble struggling to make an impact and we simply do not have the forward thinking midfield players to offer them that extra support. to really make an impact against this kind of quality.

Another ball over the top saw Vardy reach the ball before Berra. The young Fox managed to get in a cross which Chambers ably blocked but the ball fortuitously returned straight to Vardy who crossed pinball style straight to the waiting Nugent who simply cushioned the ball in for his customary goal against Town and 2-0. The home side had a free kick go narrowly wide and continued to press before the ref blew for half-time. Some re-grouping was needed and for the first time since our last visit to The King Power stadium, I genuinely feared another cricket score might be in the offing.

Thankfully, Town were a little better after the break although the Foxes went very close in the opening exchanges to extending their lead. Again, the pace of Dyer had us all at sea. Alongside a better performance from Town, Leicester seemed to take their foot off the gas and gradually we came more into the game. On the hour, Tabb was replaced by Anderson, Green moving to his more natural position in the centre. Murphy and Nouble both failed to make decent contact with the same half chance and Nouble almost charged down one back pass to Scmeichel before exiting for Ebanks-Blank. Town put some crosses into the box, Smith unable to get onto the end of Berra's flick. Murphy had an attempt from the edge of the area blocked but the home side still looked threatening and far more composed in possession. For the final 15 Taylor replaced Hunt and had an effort go a yard or so wide as the forgotten man cut in from the right. Cresswell dragged a free kick tamely well wide as the game petered out. Smith's New Zealand colleague Chris Wood replaced Nugent and with a couple of minutes to go brushed aside Town defenders and slotted past the advancing Gerken to put the result beyond doubt (though frankly it had been for the last 20 minutes to be honest). Taylor put a Town free kick into the side netting but Town were still distinctly second best. Some banter between the younger singing Town fans and the home crowd served as a little light relief before the final whistle. We were outplayed and to return to my original theme, put to the sword by pace and movement. They are the best side in the league and maybe we can learn one or two lessons from the style of play that has got them there.

Some player comments:

Gerken - some good stops but he looks shaky when the ball goes back to him an Leicester seemed to sense it.
Chambers - not his best performance but not the worst. Exposed a few times and like all the back four, rushed into hoofing it by the energetic Foxes over and over again
Berra - not his usual composed self. Like Smith, allowed the ball to bounce too much with the sun in his eyes and was a bit exposed by the ball over the top and the pace of Vardy.
Smith - very similar to Berra. Never allowed to settle.
Cresswell - one lovely nutmeg in the first half and a couple of decent crosses. Average at best
Green - not a right sided midfielder and I saw him a couple of times in the first half not doing enough to get back as the Foxes broke with pace. Better in the centre.
Skuse - neat, tidy and probably our best midfielder today. Should have hit the target. Needs someone alongside him somewhere in the midfield to compliment his game and not replicate it.
Tabb - at fault for the first for sure. Not imposing himself in the centre of the park. Mick says "Tabby's great" but still took him off after 60 minutes. Actions speak louder than words Mick.
Hunt - busy and perhaps our most creative outlet at times. Hasn't yet formed a proper working partnership with Cresswell down the left side. They don't seem to be on the same wavelength at the moment in terms or overlapping one another.
Nouble - lots of work from Frank. Won more high balls than I have ever seen him. Had one chance to show his pace and power in the first half but it petered out and he was brushed aside.
Murphy - an enigma for me. Murph seems to have everything needed for a Championship number 9 and he might well argue that the service just isn't good enough at times. He'd be right but I can't get past the fact that far too many times (especially against the better teams) Murph just doesn't present enough of a physical threat. I've said it before, against players like Morgan, Daryl declines to challenge -a token jump is what you get. Morgan will have removed him from his pocket at the final whistle today.
Anderson - had one or two chances to go at his man but elected to turn back inside and go backwards or sidewards. Compare this to Dyer and Knockaert today and their forward drive.
Ebanks-Blake - give him a run and we'll see. I thought he did OK today although I was unimpressed that he went straight down the tunnel on the final whistle without acknowledging the away support
Taylor - in the short time he was on, one nice crossfield ball to Anderson, two strikes at goal and some forward drive. Did lose the ball a couple of times as well.

I know these are very long reports and I apologise if they are too much to get through!



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