Match Preview: Crawley Town

13 April 2023

Tranmere Rovers look to build on a strong win at home to Swindon last weekend, with a trip to Crawley Town this weekend.

Ian Dawes’ Tranmere look to have a strong finish to the League Two season, with just five games to go, which starts this weekend at struggling Crawley Town.

23rd place Crawley Town come into this game after a 4-0 hammering away at Barrow on Easter Monday, and are searching for their first win in five games.

The Red Devils, who play at Broadfield Stadium, have a positive record at home this season, winning 8 and drawing 5 out of 20 matches.

Crawley also look to get revenge on Tranmere, who have won just 4 of the 12 meetings between the two teams – with the last fixture coming in February where a goal from Jordan Turnbull was enough to see out a 1-0 victory for the hosts at Prenton Park.

The first visit of the whites to Crawley was in 2012 in Sky Bet League One – where ruthless Rovers ripped through the Red Devils, running out 5-2 winners in West Sussex.

One To Watch: Ashley Nadesan

Ashley Nadesan, born in Surrey, is the player with the most goal involvements for Crawley Town this season, and is one of the more senior players in the squad – and definitely one to watch for the Rovers defence this weekend. Despite being just 28, the striker has made 124 appearances for Saturday’s hosts since arriving at the club in 2019.

Nadesan begun his career with non-league side, Horley Town – leading their youth side to success and to a league and cup double from centre half! He made the step up to the First Team for the club in 2013, where he scored 99 goals in 2 seasons!

After interest from football league clubs, the forward joined Fleetwood Town in the summer of 2016 – however not making his debut until the following year. He played for the Cods just 21 times, and scored one goal.

With things not quite working out in League One, Nadesan visited Carlisle United on loan in 2018 – scoring 4 goals in 15 appearances. He returned to North England for a second loan spell for the 2018-19 season, scoring 8 goals in 25 games.

In the summer of 2019, the then 24-year-old joined Crawley Town on a free transfer, signing an initial 3-year contract – but signing a further 2-year contract in the summer of this year. In 124 appearances for the Red Devils, Ashley has scored 25 goals – 7 of which coming this season, with 7 assists, in 37 games.

The Manager: Scott Lindsey

Scott Lindsey is a 50-year-old manager who joined Crawley Town in January of this year following the departure of former boss, Matthew Etherington.

Lindsey has played for numerous clubs across his career, and is very well-known to the non-league pyramid, playing for 18 different non-league clubs in a playing career which spanned 22 years. His most memorable stints included that at Gillingham, Dover Athletic and Burton Albion.

His coaching career got off to a start in 2009 where he took on the role of Technical Development Coach at Gillingham, where his role was to set up Development Centres in Kent, with an aim of pushing local youths into the Gillingham FC Centre of Excellence.

In September 2009, he left Gillingham to take up a First Team Coach Job at Lincoln City, under the management of Chris Sutton. He served as Caretaker Manager for a short period in 2010, and his contract was terminated in 2011 after City were relegated from the EFL.

Three years later, he took on the Under 18s Manager Job at Swindon Town, before leaving in 2016 to become Assistant Manager of Forest Green Rovers.

In 2021, Lindsey joined Swindon Town as Assistant Manager and was announced as Head Coach in the Summer of 2022. His record at Town was just 10 wins in 30 games, which left his side in 8th in League Two.

He was appointed Crawley Town Manager in January on a two-and-a-half-year contract, where he has won 4 and drawn 4 out of 17 games – at a win percentage of just 23.5%.

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Match Previews

Match Reports

Crawley Town 2-1 Tranmere Rovers

15 April 2023

Tranmere Rovers were defeated 2-1 on their travels to Crawley Town at the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Sky Bet League Two.

Harvey Saunders opened the scoring inside eight minutes for Ian Dawes’ men, scoring his second goal in two games for the Club.

However, goals in ten second-half minutes from Aramide Oteh and Jack Powell sent Rovers into the half-time interval behind.

Kane Hemmings missed a late penalty for Rovers, who were unable to earn any points in Sussex.

Early in the contest, Tom Davies did well to throw himself in the way of Dom Telford’s strike, before the Crawley forward hit from distance which landed on the roof of Mateusz Hewelt’s netting.

Rovers were ahead on eight minutes after home goalkeeper Corey Addai slipped on the edge of the box following a back pass, which allowed Saunders to pounce and roll the ball into an empty net right-footed.

Tranmere then had to deal with some pressure from their hosts, as Josh Dacres-Cogley was forced to steer a header clear from Ben Gladwin’s cross aimed for Telford.

Pushing for a response, Crawley had two opportunities. Firstly, when a well-worked set-piece was pulled back to James Tilley who whipped a fierce shot into the area, which Harry Ransom diverted narrowly beyond the post.

Dion Conroy found Telford with a pass in a dangerous position, with Hewelt equal to his low shot on target.

Logan Chalmers and captain Hemmings were unable to beat Addai with their openings on goal – either side of Tilley shooting narrowly over – as both teams traded chances.

Crawley levelled the score on the half-hour mark through Oteh’s right-footed powerful drive from the left side of the box which found Hewelt’s top right-corner.

Aiming to restore their advantage, Jordan Turnbull and Saunders were denied by smart saves from Addai.

But having almost gone in front through Telford’s deflected snapshot off Davies, Scott Lindsey’s Red Devils turned the game on its head with 40 minutes played.

A corner was floated into the crowded box and not cleared by Rovers, with Ransom profiting to head across goal for Powell to get ahead of Davies to flick past Hewelt from a matter of yards.

Hewelt was called upon to thwart Ashley Nadesan from making it three, saving well from the forward.

As the play resumed for the second-half, positive build-up play from Regan Hendry and Hemmings set Chalmers free, though the winger fired over the crossbar in the box.

Dawes made his first substitute of the contest six minutes on from the interval, with Jake Turner-Cooke replacing Lee O’Connor.

Hewelt held Nicholas Tsaroulla’s drive from distance, with Crawley in the hunt for a third goal.

Dawes made a double switch on 65 minutes, bringing on Rhys Hughes and Sam Taylor for Chalmers and Saunders.

Josh Hawkes chased onto Dacres-Cogley’s pass to weave into the box, though his effort was deflected behind by Kellan Gordon.

Rovers missed the chance to draw level from the penalty spot in the 80^th minute when Hendry’s cross struck the arm of Mazeed Ongungbo.

Up-stepped Hemmings, only for his spot-kick to be saved by Addai, who dived low to palm the ball away from the bottom left-corner, as Hughes’ rebound went high and wide.

Jake Burton was introduced into the action with seven minutes of normal time remaining, for Hawkes.

Rovers were throwing everything forward, with Ethan Bristow’s cross only finding a Crawley man, while Anthony Grant nearly added to the scoring through a shot which had Hewelt at full-stretch.

Rovers couldn’t find an elusive equaliser. Attention now turns to a fixture away at Rochdale on Tuesday night, kick-off 7:45pm.

Tranmere: Hewelt, Dacres-Cogley, Davies, Turnbull, Bristow, Chalmers, Hendry, O'Connor (Turner-Cooke 51), Hawkes (Burton 86), Hemmings ©, Saunders (Taylor 65)

Subs not used: Hoti, Mumbongo

Goal: Saunders, 8, Oteh, 30, Powell, 40