Hallelujah
The main track from the Madchester Rave On (EP) from 1989, which was the Happy Mondays first UK top twenty single. I had all sorts of Monday related titles lines up, and some Grey ones (repeating the Grecian 2000 tenuous link from the away game), but with a positive result, and other games going our way, why not a little bit of rejoicing?
What’s this, a 3pm kick off on a Monday, what FSS madness is this. Oh, no, hang on, it’s Easter Monday, it’s traditional, and FSS have not been fucking with the fixture list this time. It’s the penultimate home game of the season, with Exeter City being the visitors, and we still fight to avoid relegation after the away draw against Birmingham City on Friday.
This will be our twentieth game against Exeter City, the first three were FA Cup ties when we were a non-league side, which saw a draw and two losses, and a first-round loss away to them in the League Cup. In the league we have four wins, five draws, and six losses. Our game against them between Christmas and New Year was the rollercoaster of emotions that really sum up our season. We led 4–1 at half time only to squander that lead and end up drawing 4–4, highlighting the season long inability to convert leading positions into wins. But there were also two incidents which point to how hard done to we have been by officiating this season as well. A few minutes into the second half Tola Showunmi was dragged back as he went to kick the ball in the box, a blatant foul, but no penalty. And Exeter’s third goal was another blatant foul, this time on JoJo Wollacott (their manager got sent off in the following match when the same tactic saw the ‘goal’ disallowed). Either or both been given would have seen a win. Similar decisions have cost us points away at Bristol Rovers and Bolton Wanderers, and at home against Wrexham.
On loan Kamari Doyle was on the pitch for that game, but he was then on loan at Exeter, but he was substituted before the comeback started. There have one ex Crawley player in their squad, with Caleb Watts who played one game for us on loan from Southampton back in 2022, getting a hamstring injury after eighteen minutes in his first and what turned out to be last appearance for us.
Regarding cards, again I’ve gone to the 1991–92 Proset collection, with Exeter City being in what was then the Third Division, and their fixture card with goalkeeper Kevin Miller on the front. Looking at that fixture list, Stockport County, Reading, Shrewsbury Town, Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic, Leyton Orient, Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, and Peterborough United were all in the same division then are they are this season. Five of the teams from that year are no longer in the league (Torquay United, Hartlepool United, Darlington, Bury, and Chester City), and three are in the Premier League now (Brentford, AFC Bournemouth, and Fulham).
The full-on obsession mode is covered in the piece below.
And of course Exeter is now the answer to the quiz question of which is the largest city in England not to have hosted top-flight football, having inherited it from the long-time title holders Hull.
Following on from the discussion piece in Four Four Two I’ve mentioned previously, it would appear that the ‘tactical’ goalkeeper injury is the hot topic in football magazines, as there is an article on it in this month’s When Saturday Comes as well, and that focuses mainly on League One, but doesn’t mention us this time, instead highlighting Birmingham City’s manager Chris Davies’s extensive use of it, and mentioning Bolton Wanderers’ manager Steven Schumacher being a fierce critic of it (so perhaps that’s aimed at us, despite his admission he’s used it himself).
Going into the game we are six points, and a shit load of goal difference of safety, and despite the battling 0–0 draw against champions Birmingham City on Good Friday, we have dropped a place and are now twenty-third. Even winning all of our remaining games may not be enough to save us now, it is out of our hands. Exeter meanwhile sit fourteenth and have secured safety with points in their last three games.
I was at the ground ridiculously early, even by my own standards. Only one of the three Exeter City supporters coaches had turned up, and even by the time I got into the ground at half one, the team coach hadn’t arrived.
There was a reason for me going early, it was to take lots of photographs of little bits and pieces in and around the ground in assorted colour and image settings. Having joined the Crawley Camera Club has done strange things to me. Who would have thought I’d want a close up of a floodlight,
or a single colour view of the snack bar in the southeast corner? There isn’t quite one picture per word, but I have enough for at least one in every twenty, not that I’m going to use anywhere near that.
The sun was out when walking up to the ground and when I first sat down, but as kick-off approached, so did the threatening dark clouds and I sit shivering with four layers, hood and gloves and wonder if that is a final omen for the season.
When the team is announced, one of the know it all, know nothing nincompoops on the forum said it was the worst Crawley Town elevens of the season.
Exeter are in blur shirts with white sleeves, blue shorts, and white socks, up against the all red home kit of ours. Exeter have the first attack of the game, working it through the middle and get a shot off from just inside the box which trickles wide. We attack down the left with a ball to Gavan Holohan, he gets into the box and crosses it, Panutche Camara has a volley saved, and the follow up from Liam Fraser if blocked and Exeter smuggle it away.
We have a throw on the right, near the penalty area, and Charlie Barker takes a long throw into the box. It is headed to the edge of the box and there are claims for an Exeter handball, but Jack Roles wins the loose ball and crosses it, there is a header in there by someone (difficult to tell as the six yard box is crowded), which is saved, I think Max Anderson follows up, and it is pushed out to the left and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy forces it in from close range at our fifth attempt and we lead 1–0.
Exeter attack from the restart and get into the box and have a shot which is blocked. It is played out and Camara wins it in the centre circle and breaks clear, there is a two on one and he slides it across to RHM, who progresses with it and then feeds it back to Camara, and he goes into the area and curls it into the top corner and we lead 2–0.
Toby Steward is down injured in the box and the physio is on to treat what appears to be cramp? After ten minutes. Surely it’s a bit too early to be timewasting, especially now that the issue of phantom keeper injuries is a hot topic in the football media.
When play resumes we win the ball in midfield and feed it out to the left, it gets to RHM, and he cuts in and across the front of the penalty area before shooting. That one is more likely to bring down a passing plane rather than trouble the keeper. A long ball down the right is taken down by RHM in the box and there are more appeals for a handball, but it goes to the keeper, and he launches it over the east marquee for ball lost one of the day.
The ball comes out of defence to Holohan, he passes it to Jeremy Kelly, who cuts in from the left and across the front of the box before shooting from the right side of the D and it is just wide, hitting the stanchion behind the goal. More great play through the middle, it is played into Kelly in the box in full stride, he jinks past the keeper and tries to roll it back the other way into the goal , but there is a defender on the line to clear, but only straight to RHM following in, and he knocks it in to make it 3–0.
We haven’t even finished celebrating and Exeter are attacking down the right, they put in a deep cross to the back post and there is no challenge on the header which just goes over Steward, clips the underside of the bar and creeps over the line and in a blink of an eye it is back to 3–1.
The goal scorer and former Crawley player (if only for eighteen minutes) Caleb Watts picks up a booking soon after for what the ref indicates is persistent fouling, as he catches Roles in midfield.
It takes half an hour before Exeter get a throw on our side of the pitch and therefore to involve TAFKAL in proceedings with a yell of ‘get on with it.’ He’s probably grateful it isn’t their number 11 taking it though. Barker attempts to dribble out from the back and is robbed, but Exeter thankfully can’t take advantage, and it goes out for a goal kick. Seriously, concentrate lads.
Exeter have woken up a bit since their goal and they work it inside and have a shot from the edge of the area which is saved by Steward. It is half cleared before Exeter play it back into the box. Fraser has his hand on an Exeter player’s back and feeling it the player goes down like an extra from Platoon. The ref isn’t only not buying it, he stops play and books the diving little shit.
Ben Radcliffe makes a good tackle on halfway and it looks as if play is continuing, only for the Exeter number 11 to roll around in apparent agony, at which point the ref stops play, brings it back to give Exeter a free kick and book the confused looking Radcliffe. As soon as the yellow card comes out, the number 11 is up and running off. Cheating bastards.
There are three added minutes at the end of the half. We work it forward with good interplay between Holohan and Camara down the right, it is hit to the left and RHM gets it and cuts inside and shoots, and this one disappears over the KRL Logistics stand for ball loss two of the game. And we attack again, Fraser in midfield, out to Roles on the right, thorough to Camara, back to Roles who crosses it first time, Holohan throws himself at it with a diving header which goes inches wide. The half time whistle goes with us leader 3–1.
And still I have no confidence, especially after what happened in the away game. It may well be an exceedingly long second half.
Which starts with Exeter getting a free kick thirty yards out near right corner of the penalty area. It is headed half clear, and pumped back in again, and cleared again. We win a free kick in midfield and the ball is pumped long into the box, Barker brings it down and shoots and the keeper manages to save and collect at the second attempt.
TAFKAL is telling the throw takers to take their time. The guy on the end of the row in front of me is having a go at TAFKAL telling him to shut up. TAFKAL isn’t, at which point the guy in front mutters physical violence threats.
There is a ball down the left to Kelly, he pings it across to the right to Roles, first touch into Camara in the box, and he is tackled for a corner. Taken deep it is headed back across goal by Barker and Holohan’s header is cleared off the line. There is a coming together as it is cleared just outside the box and Kelly and an Exeter player get yellow cards.
Playing out from the ball, Steward passes to Barker, who pings an absolute beauty across to Kelly on the other wing, he plays it down the channel for RHM to run onto, he cuts back inside and goes across the edge of the box where he is fouled and we get a free kick on the edge of the D. Roles steps up to take and hits the wall, it comes back to him and the follow up effort hits the wall as well. Exeter attack but we clear and look to break, RHM rolls his man and is away in his own half but is hacked down and Exeter get another booking.
Exeter are showing more in the second half, they win a free kick near the corner flag on the left, it is crossed in and Steward punches clear, it is picked up on the right and crossed back in and the shot goes wide. They win a corner, taken short, worked all the way across to the other side of the pitch and then played in and Steward collects.
And it is substitution time, Exeter make two and we replace Camara with Kamari Doyle coming on to replace him. Exeter have a free kick on the right, half cleared, goes out to the left and crossed in and we head it clear from under our own bar, for a throw on the other side, and we clear and play it long for RHM who wins a throw deep down the other end. And now Roles is off and replaced by Armando Junior Quitirna.
The Exeter number 23 is going to ground every time anyone is anywhere near him, he is winning a lot of cheap free kicks, but the ref isn’t falling for his shit every time. There is a long ball clear and AJQ is after it, the defender is across to head back at the keeper who blocks it outside the area. Our bench are going mad claiming it was a handball in the box and instead pick up a booking for their protests. However, the Exeter City X account even acknowledges that the keeper was lucky not to be penalised for handball outside the box. It’s just a shame Stevie Wonder is refereeing.
We are still trying to press high up the pitch and AJQ forces a mistake and gets the ball in the centre circle, he plays it through to RHM, and he gets into the box only for his cross to be deflected for a corner. Taken and half cleared, played back in and a Barker header is cleared, and we try to keep the pressure on.
When Exeter do come away with it, they win a corner, which is taken deep, too deep for anyone and it goes out harmlessly for a goal kick. They win another corner; the cross comes into the box and the ref blows for a foul. The Exeter number 8 picks up a booking for dissent for arguing about the decision, and that’s his second booking and so he is off.
Which means we will be playing the three added minutes at the end of the game against ten men. Which we manage comfortably passing it around without too much urgency — a bit of a shame we don’t go for it more, that goal difference could be key in the final tally up. The full-time whistle goes, and we have won 3–1.
All in all a good all-round performance and a well-deserved victory, which goes to show the know it all, know nothing nincompoop saying it was the worst Crawley Town eleven of the season, knows absolutely fuck all.
After the game I’m talking to TAFKAL and offer to swap seats with him for the last home game of the season, just for the shits and giggles that would cause.
Elsewhere Burton Albion, Bristol Rovers, and Cambridge United all lost, we go back up to twenty-second in the table, and the gap to safety is now only three points (and a shit load of goal difference). Burton play Cambridge on Saturday and seeing as Burton have a game in hand to come as well, we have to be hoping for a Cambridge win there.
Next up is our final home game of the season against the now safe Northampton Town after their drubbing of bottom of the table Shrewsbury Town. Needless to say, but I’m all for saying it anyway. We need another win, and not the kind of performance we put in at their place. Steve McQueen hasn’t crashed his bike into the barbed wire just yet, the great escape is still feasible.
Come on you reds.
Originally published on my own website (without the pictures) at the link below.
For other Crawley Town articles check out the list below
If you liked this post, follow me or get on my email list for future posts. Some may even be more enjoyable than this one.
You can find articles I have already published here.
After years of prevaricating, I have finally gotten around to self-publishing some books. I now have three books available. The first is the novel “Where The Lights Shine Brightest”, this is available on Amazon at
Next up is a collection of drabbles, three hundred and sixty six of the little hundred word stories, under the title of “A Drabble A Day Keeps The Psychoanalyst Away”, this is available on Amazon at
Finally, there is an autobiographical work, released under my alter ego of Kevin Rodriguez-Sanchez, which covers a two year period in the early noughties when I lived in Manchester — “Five Go Mad In Manchester”. Again, this is available on Amazon at
They are all available as paperback or eBook. And if you have Kindle Unlimited then they are available on there to read whenever. Please buy / read / leave reviews.
