MATCHWATCH : Crawley Town (a)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday 8 March 2025, 12.30pm
Where : The People’s Pension Stadium, Winfield Way, Crawley, RH11 9RX
Capacity : 5,996

After the dirge of another dreadful midweek league home performance (well the club seems to be slowly sorting out it’s league away midweek performances after a decade, so the cr@p had to go somewhere) comes a trip to West Sussex for a visit to Crawley (sort of a Bracknell lookalike but nearer the sea).

Crawley are 7 points from safety as they currently languish in the bottom 4. Form is 1 win from the last 8 and none in the last 5. They have racked up wins at home v Blackpool, and at Charlton and Mansfield so far. though so are more than capable of surprises. However home form has been patchy to say the least with just 1 win in the last 6 home games and only 1 win at home since November. Their last home game was a 2-0 loss to divisional giants Cambridge so you can see this game is edging very close to a prime charitable concern.

Will Swan (7) and Junior Quitirna (6) are the main goalscoring threats. If they’re kept quiet then Rushian Hepburn-Murphy steps up. But realistically Reading should be able to cope as long as they stay grounded which should be fairly straight forward after performances like last night. Reminder that this is 12.30 kick off for the telly and Reading haven’t been too bad at these this season

Not expecting Elliott back just yet, Dorsett is probably still 6-8 weeks away and Dean another 3 weeks or so, therefore there’s not going to be too much change from the team for the last couple of games though it will be interesting to see if Carroll gets a start to try and add a bit of something different to the dynamic.

Referee

Charles Breakspear

Previously

20 Mar 24 > Derby County 2-1 Reading
28 Nov 23 > Reading 5-1 Carlisle United

Historically

No previous league visits to Crawley. The only trip to the ground was back in January 2013 in the FA Cup when, then in the Premier League, Reading won 3-1 and promptly brought Hope Akpan home with them.

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel
2. Sky red button/NOW app
3. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
4. Ring/text a mate for updates
5. Use a RoyalTV subscription
6. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Pretty sure the boss scored in that cup game.

[Royals and Racers]

It’s still Crawley’s record crowd.(5880)

[tidus_mi2]

Definitely need to be looking to win this one but can't get carried away, they're not push-overs at home.

[windermereROYAL]

Definitely need to be looking to win this one but can't get carried away, they're not push-overs at home.

Won just 4 and lost 7 out of 16, I`ll be gutted if we lose this one.

[Royal_jimmy]

Typical game to see us lose

[tidus_mi2]

Definitely need to be looking to win this one but can't get carried away, they're not push-overs at home.

Won just 4 and lost 7 out of 16, I`ll be gutted if we lose this one.

Agreed, but recently they've drawn 1-1 with Wycombe, only lost by a single goal against Birmingham and Wrexham. We should be aiming to win but shouldn't be expecting a walk in the park either.

[tidus_mi2]

That said, they've conceded a lot the last few games and looking at their forum they seem very pessimistic, they're putting it down to injuries and suspensions.

[traff]

Heads Up
M25 closed all weekend for bridge demolition JCT 10

[East Grinstead Royal]

Let’s hope the club are aware, we don’t want the team bus turning up 15 minutes before kick-off!

[Sutekh]

Heads Up
M25 closed all weekend for bridge demolition JCT 10

and the difference is ?

For the record, the M25 is only closed between the A320 (Chertsey) junction 11 and the A3 (Guildford) junction 10 in both directions.

Would suggest, as an alternative, to use Bracknell to Lightwater and down the A322 to Guildford to pick up the A25 then A24 at Dorking.

.

[Royals and Racers]

No Mbengue- Stickers plays

[blythspartan]

I fear a loss today, as we’ll miss Mbengue’s pace. From memory they created a hatful of chances at our place earlier in the season, although we won.

Never think there’s easy games at the business end of the season, so I’d take a draw today.

[Sutekh]

No Mbengue- Stickers plays

Pereira
Abrefa Stickland Bindon Garcia
Wing Savage Knibbs
WiFi Bodin Camara


Will Yiadom ever be good enough to start

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Assume Holzman is injured too? Otherwise a strange decision on Stickland who hasn't even featured in trophy games...could be tactical I guess.

Not good to have so many defensive injuries this stage of the season.

[stealthpapes]

Typical game to see us lose

feels like a coin toss.

[stealthpapes]

Think Wareham plays better starting and Bodin not yet sparked. Defence feels properly makeshift.

[stealthpapes]

Yiadom came across very well in the pre-match pre-recorded interview. Liked that.

[Sutekh]

Since when does Reading’s first kit clash with Crawley’s all red?

[Sutekh]

Thought that was late on Abrefa