Rob Elliott was pleased with his side’s fightback in his home debut despite Crawley Town being pipped at the post by AFC Wimbledon.
The former Gateshead manager took the helm at The Red Devils last week and even with defeats against Wycombe Wanderers and now the League Two side in the EFL Trophy, the 38-year-old has liked what his side has demonstrated so far.
It looked to be a tough night for Town as their lower-league opposition romped to a 3-0 lead by the 57th minute. Through Ronan Darcy, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Josh Flint they levelled the game in a 17 minute period but Joe Piggot found the goal in the dying embers to seal their place in the knockout rounds.
Speaking following the game, the ex-Ireland international was pleased with the fightback. He said (Quotes via SussexWorld): “There were a lot of positives to take obviously clear things we need to fix as well, but over the last two games we’ve got to get a good idea of the squad and the team.
“Coming back from three goals down shows a lot of character. We just need to find our feet and understand that if we keep doing the right thing and stay consistent then really, we have a lot of ability and a lot of attacking options. Always positives to take and you have to look at this as a process.
“For me it’s about developing the players but also finding out how we’re going to get the best out of them, I want to see that free-flowing attacking football.
“They showed that mentality to carry on. At 3-0 down you’re having a tough night but I thought it got better as it went on.
“There are going to be mistakes and goals scored against you, but it was the mentality that I was pleased with tonight. It was frustrating and there are things we need to improve on but as long as the lads give me that mentality of trying to play forward, try do the right thing, try score goals then we can work on it.”
After a solid start to the season, Crawley found the rug pulled from underneath them with the departure of Scott Lindsey to MK Dons, leaving them in need of a new man in charge to stave off relegation. They found their man in Elliott, who had put his Gateshead side at the top of the National League after the 1/4 mark of the season and led them to FA Trophy glory in May.
The Sussex club have now reached 10 games without a win in all competitions with the last taste of victory coming against fellow strugglers Cambridge United in the middle of August. Their only point picked up in the period was at home to Stockport County.
Shrewsbury Town are their next opponents on Saturday, one of three sides below them in the third tier. Salop are yet to win on the road this year, in what is just one of two League One clashes happening due to international call-ups across the division.
Writer’s View
It will be a long season for Crawley Town so for Rob Elliott to see what his side can show early on in his tenure will be a boost. They showed what they were made of to mount a comeback in fairly quick time and despite losing to a team in the league below them is no means reflective of where they’re at. The real tests will come in league play and they get the chance to record three valuable points against Shrewsbury Town on the weekend.
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy was singled out for praise by his new manager and deservedly so after finding the net twice, with one disallowed by the referee. The former Swindon Town man has been given largely an impact role in League One, having come off the bench in the last four games for the club. He should be given a chance from the off against Salop this weekend to see if he can replicate that performance to add to his tally for the season after scoring on debut against Blackpool.
