Nigel Brake (32, 40) Mo Harkin (66) Nic McDonnell (83)
Danny Bloomfield (23)
Adie Hayes (73 pen)
Starting Line-Up
1
Andy Little
2
Stewart Holmes
3
Ian Payne
4
Ben Judge
5
Mark Pullan
6
Peter Fear
7
Mo Harkin
8
Ernie Cooksey
9
Nic McDonnell
10
Warren Bagnall
11
Nigel Brake
Substitutes
12
Danny Hockton - 10 (76)
14
Kevin Hemsley
15
Neil Le Bihan - 8 (70)
16
Matten - 2 (89)
17
Francis Vines
Competition
Dr Martens Premier Div.
Saturday 22nd Feb 2003
Match Statistics
16
Shots on goal
5
13
On target
4
3
Off target
1
9
Corners
3
20
Fouls
12
3
Offside
4
Bookings
Tim Wooding (10)
Rob Sturgess (52)
Jack Wignall (77)
Other Information
Referee
Dave Phillips
Assistants
Kevin Downes
Steve Thorne
Attendance
734
Starting Line-Up
1
Martin Davies
2
Tim Wooding
3
Shane Wardley
4
Matt Rice
5
Colin Vowden
6
Rob Sturgess
7
Dan Huggins
8
Adie Hayes
9
Kevin Wilkin
10
Danny Bloomfield
11
Owen Paynter
Substitutes
12
Jack Wignall - 7 (70)
13
Alan Calton
14
Matt Clements - 11 (52)
15
Chris Wilson
16
Robbie Simpson - 2 (45)
City produced their most disappointing performance since the departure of manager David Batch to end up comprehensively beaten by a very lively Crawley side, resurgent under caretaker manager Francis Vines. Despite taking the lead with Danny Bloomfield netting his sixth of the season, City could have left with a much heavier defeat but for some second-half heroics from 'keeper Martin Davies.
City's side showed a number of changes both positional and in personnel. Rob Nightingale (suspended) and Che Wilson (injury) were both missing from centre midfield. Rob Sturgess and Adie Hayes took their places while Cambridge United loanee Owen Paynter went wide on the left with Dan Huggins moving forward from his usual full-back role to right wing. The changes were completed with Tim Wooding at right-back and Kevin Wilikn replacing Robbie Simpson in attack.
City had arrived at the Broadfield Stadium only half an hour before kick-off due to roadworks on the M11 and added to this the fact that they hadn't played for a fortnight, it was no surprise that they looked sluggish in the early stages with Crawley very much in the ascendency in the early minutes.
After only sixty seconds City were caught out by a quickly taken free-kick that found striker Nic McDonnell in space on the left. His dangerous cross to the near-post was thumped behind by Colin Vowden as Warren Bagnall closed in. City countered minutes later when pressure from Wilkin forced home keeper Andy Little to flap at and totally miss Paynter's inswinging free-kick, the ball dropping a foot past the far-post.
Under pressure from Kevin Wilkin,
Crawley's Andy Little misses a cross
However, Crawley continued to maintain their good start and McDonnell and Brake combined well to open City up down the left, the latter whipping in a near-post cross that forced Vowden to produce a brilliant tackle to prevent Bagnall from scoring, the prone defender then blocked McDonnell's follow up with an outstretched leg.
City were again in trouble soon after when a long pass down the right from Stewart Holmes sent Bagnall sprinting through on goal. Martin Davies came out to meet him and was subsequently bypassed by the forward, but with the angle fast defeating him he could only produce a weak shot at goal that was easily cleared by Wooding.
City were managing to hold Crawley without playing that well and slowly began to come into the game and finally threatened the Crawley goal after seventeen minutes when Wooding got a free-kick on target, but Little was always behind it and collected comfortably. Six minutes later City stunned their hosts by taking the lead with a classic counter attack. When a Crawley attack broke down Wardley cleared upfield to Bloomfield just inside the City half, he evaded both Ben Judge and Peter Fear before playing a give and go with Wilkin. The former Norwich City man raced through on goal leaving the home defence trailing in his wake before coolly slotting the ball under the advancing Little.
City's lead was maintained by a superb tackle from Wardley that denied Bagnall a tap-in when he looked odds on to convert Brake's left wing cross just before the half hour mark, but it wasn't long before Crawley drew level.
In the 32nd minute the ever dangerous McDonnell turned Matt Rice in the centre circle before playing in Brake, who had got on the blind side of Wooding as City's full-back was caught ball watching. As he entered the area, Brake was tripped from behind by Wooding sending him stumbling forward but was still able to poke the ball past Davies. It was just as well for Wooding that the ball did go in as he would have surely seen a red card otherwise.
City were looking very much second best and Vowden had to be quick to avert danger when a long ball found McDonnell in acres of space in the City area, but it was only brief respite as a minute later Crawley were in front and it was that man Brake who again did the damage. City could have felt a little hard done by as Holmes' attempted piledriver from 20 yards deflected off Wardley straight to Brake who made no mistake from 8 yards, but the lead was no more than the home side deserved.
Half-time saw Wooding replaced by Simpson, Huggins resuming his usual role at full-back as City changed to a three man attack, and it almost paid dividends in the early minutes.
Tim Wooding fires in a free-kick
City pushed forwarsd and won a free-kick 30 yards from goal when Sturgess was upended. Paynter, who showed an aptitude for set pieces, swung the ball in for Wilkin to connect with a good header, fortunately for Crawley Little was equal to it, pushing the ball away, Rice was then penalised as he tried to force the loose ball home. However, it was to be City's only attack of any real worth as Crawley took control.
Just before the hour Crawley wasted a good chance to extend their lead when Brake's pinpoint pass sent McDonnell clear. Fortunately for City, the option he chose in trying to find his strike partner in the middle when a direct shot may have paid better dividends, was the wrong one and the ball rolled harmlessly wide of the far post.
The Crawley fans didn't have to bemoan that miss for long as ten minutes later they got what looked to be the decisive goal. It was a poor goal to concede, Wardley failed to deal with Fear's long ball down the flank, only succeeding in producing a weak clearance that fell to Mo Harkin. The midfielder needed no invitation to run at the City defence and his weaving run took him a yard into the City area before he unleashed a low shot that flew past Davies and just inside his near post.
That looked to be that but City were handed a lifeline in the shape of a 73rd minute penalty after Simpson was brought down by Mark Pullan as the City youngster chased in on Clements low cross. Hayes had no problem beating Little from the spot. After looking out of the game, City now had a chance of something but they never built upon the goal and Crawley instead were to finish the strongest as they dominated the final fifteen minutes.
After seeing their two goal lead cut, Crawley almost re-established it immediately but were denied by a double Davies save. City's stopper did superbly well to stop substitute Neil Le Bihan's 30 yard drive and then recovered to also block McDonnell's close range effort as he latched onto the loose ball. There was no respite for City as the home side swept forward and it was no surprise when they notched their fourth with seven minutes remaining. Former Wimbledon man Peter Fear produced a brilliant 40 yard crossfield ball that picked out the run of Le Bihan, he bore down and goal and fired in a low goalbound shot that Davies did well to get a hand to, but City did not escape as McDonnell - as he had been looking to do all game - mopped up as the ball ran loose.
The final minutes saw some frantic action in the City area with Davies in the thick of it. First he had to block bravely at the feet of Brake after Wignall had inadvertently flicked on a long throw. From the resulting corner Fear eventually crossed for McDonnell to volley from the edge of the area, Davies was again on hand to brilliantly turn it away for a corner. The pressure was kept up and from this second flag kick, Harkin crossed to the far post where Holmes came flying in only missing the ball by inches.
Post match reaction
Gary Roberts
It was very disappointing yesterday. Maybe there was a little bit of rustiness, we were missing our midfield engine-room with Rob Nightingale and Che Wilson being ruled out, and it was asking alot of those that played in midfield to compete with them really. We lost 4-2 but it was no disgrace to be honest.
The wide positions have been the areas where we have been lacking. We've consistently struggled to get decent delivery from the wings. I played Dan Huggins in midfield to put a break on Crawley to a degree, to try and break up their rhythm. We were holding them, without playing well, then we gave away a poor goal, in fact all their goals were poor from my point of view, defensively.
We allowed them to put far too much pressure on us, and they played a very direct style of football. At 3-2, I thought we could possibly have rescued a point, but you look at our team and then at the opposition yesterday and we are still quite lightweight in comparison, there is no doubt about it. When we play the teams from the upper reaches of the table, we are going to be struggling. We are going to have to concentrate on picking up our points from teams that are around us.
Owen Paynter is going to take a little while to adjust to the speed of the game, more than anything. He showed some nice touches. He obviously has some ability with the dead ball situations. I think the pace of the game maybe surprised him a little bit.
Against Fordham in midweek, I'm going to be puting out as close to a first team as I can. The first half at least, will be near the side that started yesterday. Robbie Nightingale will be added to the squad. Hopefully we will be able to bring in someone to play on the left hand side, on loan. We were turned down by Wimbledon with regards to another possible loanee signing, but that deal is not completely dead yet, not for a couple of weeks at least.
We are also in conversation with a Premiership club at the moment with a view to loaning in a player that plays wide left. We do have a few games in hand on teams immediately above us, which is obviously an improvement on the situation around Christmas time. Hopefully next week, against Hinckley United, the players will respond to what is likely to be a cup tie atmosphere.
