Taste of the Terrace: Yorwerth and Payne coming on changed the game

Sometimes I feel Crawley Town should issue a public health warning and this was one of those times.
Crawley Town fan Geoff Thornton gives his news in  his new column SUS-150216-162649002Crawley Town fan Geoff Thornton gives his news in  his new column SUS-150216-162649002
Crawley Town fan Geoff Thornton gives his news in his new column SUS-150216-162649002

‘Supporting this team may cause damage to your well-being’ would convey the message.

The first 50 minutes of this vital six-pointer against Forest Green Rovers could have left some fans contemplating self-harm, such was the frustration caused by a mix of lassitude and ineptitude.

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All of a sudden Reds clicked into gear and the level of excitement at times seemed likely to cause concern to anyone already suffering from high blood pressure or a dodgy ticker.

The reason for the upsurge was a double substitution for the second half. Josh Yorwerth replaced the invisible Lewis Young and took the fight to the visitors who had looked by far the better side until then.

Josh Payne came on for Dannie Bulman and added invention and energy to the midfield that Bully had struggled to provide. I reiterate my view that Payne MUST start.

The chief protagonist in the second half was Jordan Roberts, who strove tirelessly in search of a goal and he looked a class apart and too good for League Two. With supreme irony Forest Green took the lead through Christian Doidge whilst they were really under the cosh.

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Crawley certainly deserved Thomas Verheydt’s equaliser and maybe it will give the Dutchman a boost as he had done little previously to merit his selection.

The sparse crowd went home happy enough with the point that the match overall deserved but disaster had only been narrowly avoided.

Whilst the visitors were on top they had hit the woodwork twice, Doidge had missed a sitter and seen his drive superbly saved by Glenn Morris.

Rovers were somewhat miffed that the Crawley ‘keeper was there for the second half as he had been cautioned for handball just outside the area.

Everybody in the West Stand was convinced he should have been sent-off by referee Tom Nield.