Back on the Horse

By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 06/04/2026

I've been mulling over Friday's performance against Harrogate. The more I've thought about it, the worse it is. It's not so much losing to the bottom side and conceding three goals, although this hardly fits into our vision statement, but it was the languid way in which we lost.

Head Coach Artell pointed to our dominance, and we created some chances with two notable efforts from Walker and Cook's uninspiring penalty miss, but we just played the ball around with no purpose and too frequently a lack of awareness of where our opponents were. It was as if the players were in a confused daze. Cook was criticised for his grumpy attitude but at least he wanted something to happen. Leaving aside the penalty miss, our corners and free kicks were poor. The lies were scuffy but isn't that what Staunton should be practicing on? In his pre-match interview Mr Artell was calm and advocated the benefits of some time off, but it was as if most of the players hadn't realised that their break had ended and any level of intensity was required. We can blame the players but this comes down to a lack of preparation. In outside industry, "Human Factors" is a known thing. An airline pilot, hospital doctor or sales assistant does not attribute poor or mediocre performance to returning from holiday. Mr Artell has gassed on less in recent times about performance data and, to use a favourite phrase of his, "all the rest of it". Space should be made in all the rest of it for responding to 1230 kick-offs, which Mr Artell has identified in the aftermath as being a problem, and to periods of inactivity such as happened last week. Some of it is process, which seems to translate itself in some players being timid, and some is simply motivating players to be ready at the right moment. I'd suggest we weren't ready on Friday, and this is down to the Head Coach. We were going to have to be ready today at Crawley. A loss would all but send our play-off aspirations down the drain. Crawley, like Harrogate, lie in the relegation zone and with a new manager and league survival at stake, are fighting. It almost seems to me as if we're not fighting and that what is valued more is following the process. We didn't do that properly on Friday. We certainly couldn't look forward to another comprehensive victory over Crawley, not least without playing fearlessly to our potential. As Mr Artell said after Harrogate, we've got to get back on the horse. Hopefully the horse isn't dead.

The starting team today for Town was: Smith - Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Sweeney - Turi - Burns, Green, Oduor, Kabia - Cook. So only change was made after Friday: Oduor for Walker, who was one of our better players. Unusually Crawley had two pairs of players with the same surname: Ade and Tobi Ademeyo, and Taylor and Lewis Richards.

The Sussex sun shone. Town's fans looked on from the tarpaulin-roofed, scaffold-like structure of a stand as Town in the cream kit kicked off. In a replica of Friday, Town had a chance in the first minute but Kabia's curled effort fell wide. Rodgers followed up with a drilled shot two minutes later. On 7 minutes McJannet won a corner for Town - time to find out if Staunton's delivery was better, but we never found out as if was played short, and Staunton and Oduor proceeded to mess it up between them. Smith was called into action soon after, struggling to hang on to a cross from Williams. Kabia then reached a misunderstanding with Staunton after a good interception before ballooning a shot over. Town were showing the endeavour but not the quality. A good run by Turi led to a cross. Kabia's shot was good but Chapman made a good low save. Town won a free kick on 17 minutes. Staunton's cross was good but McJannet couldn't keep the ball down with his head. Crawley had sustained spell of possession which ended with a wild and wasteful shot from Malone. On 22 minutes Oduor did well to win possession in Town's half and with a well-placed pass from Cook, Kabia was away. Kabia ran inside from the left and expertly glided his shot past Chapman into the bottom right corner. Crawley 0, Town 1. Town won a corner on 25 minutes Staunton's cross struck Cook. Chapman was in the way and stopped the ball from going in. Town won another corner, which came to nothing. Then on 28 minutes more good work from Oduor started an attack. Green bustled the ball forward to Cook, who with just Chapman to beat, dragged his shot to the left. It was a bad miss. Crawley hadn't done much but on 31 minutes Williams managed a snap shot which just passed the post. On 32 minutes McJannet was penalised for fouling Richards in Town's half. The free kick delivery was poor. Town were back on the attack on 35 minutes. There was a big scramble in the box with Cook and Green piling in. The ball was cleared to the approaching Rodgers who somehow drove it through the defence and in. Crawley 0, Town 2. Town went close again on 38 minutes with Forster denying Burns following a Staunton cross. Staunton then wasted a free kick on 41 minutes, sending it straight out of play. McJannet caused a scare on 43 minutes, missing the ball completely to allow McKirdy in but the angle was too narrow. Two minutes were added to the half. Town were on the offensive as they had been for most of the half. At half time, Town were still 2 - 0 up. It's hard to imagine thatt Crawley would be this bad in the second half. On the other hand Town's work rate and energy were excellent. Without question we deserved to be in the lead.

The second half began with Oduor and Staunton trying to work the ball free in the Crawley corner. Oduor was tripped by Williams who responded by booting the ball at the head of the bemused Oduor. The referee had no hesitation in issuing a red card to Williams. Staunton's free kick was good but a foul was committed. Crawley's players seemed to be losing their composure. The game stopped for attention to Crawley keeper Chapman. We weren't even five minutes into the second half. As the teams regrouped, it became a game of hoof ball. Green charged down a Chapman clearance but to no avail. Crawley had a decent attack, culminating in an Adeyemo chip which curled wide. Town had a spell of possession, which ended when Cook handled the ball. Great work by Green on 63 minutes almost led to a Town goal when Green nipped in between the defender and the goalkeeper. Cook was then denied by Malone from close range. Staunton's corner curled in but escaped everybody. With 66 minutes gone, Sweeney and Walker came on for Green and Oduor. Kabia was booked for his reaction after winning a free kick. The game was scrappy. Ten-man Crawley couldn't get going. while Town seemed happy to let the clock run down. There was no fluidity in the play on either side. Town had a break on 74 minutes. Kabia as fought off the defender. Walker found Burns who won a corner. The short corner was messed up. 76 minutes had now passed. A minute later Kacurri flattened Adeyemo deep on the left. Forster supplied. Barker flicked on. McJannet seemed to knee the ball over the bar. Crawley smelt blood. Forster and Adeyemo were on hand to flick home a cross but McJannet nipped in first. Town needed to take control, as they were allowing Crawley the opportunity to get back in the game. On 81 minutes Amaluzor replaced Cook. Staunton received a yellow card for being too slow to take a throw A terrible touch from Burns conceded possession before Turi fouled Pereira. Fortunately Crawley weren't up to the task again and Smith gathered the subsequent cross easily. Pereira was in the action again, when Sweeney fouled him on the edge of Town's box. Russell had a header close to goal but Town, who were under pressure at this stage, bundled the ball out. Kabia, who had been in battle all afternoon, was replaced by Svanthorsson on 88 minutes. Crawley resumed their assaults. Both Pereira and Adeyemo tried to get a good foot on the ball in the box. Seven minutes were added following all the stoppages. With Crawley seeking to score, Town had a counter attack on 82 minutes. Amaluzor did well to shake off the defender and supply Burns who nonchalantly and wastefully pushed the ball onto the post. Fortunately this miss wasn't looking to be consequential. Svanthorsson then won a corner. The game ended: Crawley Town, Grimsby Town 2.

It's inexplicable how Town can be so lacklustre one game and three days later we are sharp. This Jekyll and Hyde character may well be our downfall this season. The second half was a non-event. Town had nothing to do, especially after the sending off, but it was a source for concern that we allowed Crawley to threaten us and potentially get back in the game. But the job was done after a particularly impressive first half. We have big games coming up soon against Crewe and Chesterfield. For now we're in the saddle. The horse is back.

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