Crawley Town (0) 3 McFadzean 55, Clarke 66,81
Gillingham (0) 2 Kedwell (pen) 46, Legge 69
Att. 3,984
Entrance: £19
Programme: £3
Mileage: 104/1,673
Match Report
Those opinions at present differ between the professional, through the eye of manager Martin Allen and the critical eyes of the club’s supporters. At what point does our present position constitute a worry, or using a more extreme word, crisis? Three successive League draws had seen an improvement in form and confidence and, if you are in the mode of positive thinking, it relates to three games without defeat. Unfortunately, a loss transforms into six games without a win from the opening day of the season and throwing in two cup defeats, the run rises to eight. Crisis or not, you pay your money, you state your opinion.
Personally, I’m not in crisis thinking, but I am worried and my thoughts do not always align themselves with those of the manager. Without question, he has a job to maintain the confidence of his squad going forward, but in so doing, his after match press conferences are becoming that of a repetitious nature that leads to the public not listening because they have heard it all before.
In essence there is nothing wrong with what is being said, but being told that "it was a good performance" after another game that hasn't been won doesn't explain as to why it was lost. What is wrong in saying that Gillingham might have got something out of the game if Billy Clarke hadn't been allowed to wander unchallenged through midfield before cracking home a fierce shot into the top corner?
That said, this was a strange game in which Crawley should have been home and hosed by half-time, quickly found themselves behind in the second before a red card apiece had a major bearing on the ultimate outcome.
The first half will be remembered, not fondly, for a series of saves by Stuart Nelson that kept the visitors in the game as Crawley thoroughly dominated. After half-an-hour of one-way traffic, Allen withdrew Adebayo Akinfenwa much to the big man's indignation. Fact was Gillingham were being over-run and without the agility of Nelson, a cricket score was in the offing. Following the reshuffle which involved Myles Weston being introduced the ship was at least steadied.
The second half was an end-to-end affair in which the two teams traded goals and red cards. In the opening minute Danny Kedwell turned Kyle McFadzean and was brought down to earn a penalty which he duly converted. Gillingham appeared to be on the way to a famous victory when, after 52 minutes, the home side were reduced to 10 men as Gary Alexander was sent off for an apparent stamp on Leon Legge.
Parity, in terms of personnel, was restored within a minute when Charlie Lee was sent off for a second bookable offence. The first half booking right in front of me looked extremely harsh and from the length of the pitch diagonally the second seemed similarly harsh. From the resulting free kick McFadzean was on hand at the far post to smash home an equaliser.
The home side were now back in ascendancy and after 66 minutes a free kick from Nicky Adams hit a post with the livewire Clarke quickest to react and score past the prostrate Nelson.
If heads went down on the terraces, they didn't on the field and within three minutes Gillingham were back on level terms. Bradley Dack crossed low into the box and Legge managed to bundle the ball into the net from close range whilst almost on his knees. He took a knock for his trouble and coupled with the injury inflicted when Alexander was sent off, he needed to be replaced with 15 minute remaining.
The unfamiliar back four of Whelpdale, Devante McKain, Barrett and Martin were being stretched to their limit as Nelson made save after save to preserve the point but he was finally undone with nine minutes remaining when Clarke surged forward and let fly an unstoppable shot from 20 yards for the winning goal.
Clarke's effort was nearly undone in time added when McFadzean deflected a ball onto his own post but on the day Gillingham fell just short.
"A good performance"? It was certainly spirited and one that was heavily influenced by the sending-off of Charlie Lee. But whether we deserved better than the narrow defeat is obviously open to interpretation and whether you need to indulge in a bit of old fashion flannel.
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