[choirboy]

Firstly, it was great to get three points out of a potentially tricky match.
Secondly, it was good to improve our goal difference.
Thirdly, the officials were absolutely DIRE!

Crawley seemed to have come with a plan to squash Billy Kee, (literally!) Which the referee and his assistants allowed for 50 something minutes of the match. Billy is a difficult player to play against I am sure, but the lad was wrestled virtually every time he went for the ball until we finally got on top of them later in the match. I was really pleased that Billy scored his goal!

The referee awarded only 6 fouls by Crawley in the whole match, three of which were by Ashton. Their two centre backs who were like a 'Tag Wrestling' team did not have a single foul given against either of them in the whole 90 plus minutes. The referee was useless and to me he did not look fit enough to officiate at a professional level. He lacked mobility and only broke into a 'Sweat' when the frackas kicked off and then he didn't seem to know what to do!
Crawley scored with a well taken finish by Edwards that our keeper Ross could do nothing about. A totally mis hit cross from their left luckily fell to Edwards and he swivelled superbly and found the top corner......give credit where it is due! In the first half we flattered to deceive and our attempts to play our expansive passing game stuttered on a stodgy and slightly patchy pitch. Shay did not get into the match at all in the first half.
Coley must have had a few words at half time as Stanley came out motoring. Billy got his goal after Jones spilled a 'shot come cross' from Crooks which left Billy with a relatively easy tap in.Billy certainly revelled in the success in front of the Clayton End! I shouted to Jones, "Better not make a cup of tea tonight Jones 'cause you'll probably scold you feet!"
We were getting on top and finding our passing game with both Pierro and Sean Mac doing great work on the wings, well supplied by Seamus and Crooks and our flying full backs Halliday and Bucko. I was very anxious for Bucko after he won a hard tackle but hurt himself in the process but he was motoring again within a few minutes. Shay had been working hard to run into spaces for second and third phase passes but was simply felled three times by opposing defenders when the ball was 20 to 30 yard away......Nothing from the REF! Unbelievable! It was possibly this total frustration for Shay which led to the 'Rumpus'. Shay went for a 50/50 ball and his opponent seemed to take a knock and his team mates furiously encircled Shay as he too lay on the floor. Whether it was a bad foul or not by Shay was difficult to see but the reaction by the Crawley players contributed considerably to the ensuing rumpus! Billy was so quick to stand over Shay and force away the Crawley players who were punching down on his face and head! Shay could have come of with a serious injury but for the protective efforts of Billy Kee!
(If ever I was in a war, I would want to line up with hero Billy at my side!)
Several players on both sides were losing it but Jason Mooney ran onto the pitch like Linford Christie and the sight of him steaming towards the Crawley players had some of them retreating rather quickly!! I don't think that Jason actually smacked anybody but he was obviously going to be in trouble!
After some time and the referee asking all and sundry what had happened he sent Shay off and then one of the Crawley players and then he ran over to the dugouts to send off Mooney!
The extra space on the pitch with both teams down to ten men seemed to work very much in our favour and Seamus really took control and he was sweeping passes right and left with ease. Pierro particularly was really over running his full back now and getting some great crosses in.
In one attack Matty Pearson went marauding forward into space and a poor clearance form Crawley fell to him and he beat the centre back and keeper Jones with ease, as if he was free scoring centre forward! The goal capped a great performance by Matty today.
We continued to dominate and a series of passes found Seamus 25 yards out and he looked up and superbly lined up his strike on goal with the outside of his foot wonderfully curling a low shot into the bottom corner!
Joe Wright who also had a tremendous game did a 'Matty' style marauding run forward run and nearly got onto the end of another great move!
The final goal was just reward for Pierro. After yet another sweeping series of passes he strode forward, one on one with the keeper, and finished with a super low shot into the bottom corner!
We all went barmy and I started to lose my voice with all the singing and shouting!
It had been a super second half performance by our boys and we ran out easy winners in the end
The goals scored helped to improve our goal difference too and we are now sixth with games in hand. Just a pity that neither Morecambe or Leyton Orient could not manage to do us a favour today.
ON STANLEY ON