- 4 months ago
Matt Pole is joined by Brighton writer Derren Howard, Sam Morton, who covers both the Seagulls and Crawley Town, and Red Devils expert Mark Dunford.
Brighton stemmed their poor run of form with an unbelievable come-from-behind home win over former manager Graham Potter’s West Ham United.
We look back at that extraordinary victory, plus we’ll bring you all the latest team news ahead of Albion’s home clash with Champions League-chasing Newcastle, as well as all the latest from an emotional week at Crawley Town.
Brighton stemmed their poor run of form with an unbelievable come-from-behind home win over former manager Graham Potter’s West Ham United.
We look back at that extraordinary victory, plus we’ll bring you all the latest team news ahead of Albion’s home clash with Champions League-chasing Newcastle, as well as all the latest from an emotional week at Crawley Town.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Welcome to another episode of the Goalmouth Action Podcast, where we take a look at all the latest goings-on at Brighton, Hove, Albion and Crawley Town.
00:07I'm Matt Poulton, this week I'm joined by Brighton writer Darren Howard, Sam Morton, who covers both the Seagulls and Crawley Town, and Red Devils expert Mark Dunford.
00:15Brighton stemmed their poor run of form with an unbelievable come-from-behind home win over former manager Graham Potter's West Ham United.
00:22We'll look back at that extraordinary result, plus we'll bring you all the latest team news ahead of Albion's home clash with Champions League chasing Newcastle,
00:28as well as all the latest from an emotional week at Crawley Town.
00:31You can read all the stories we are talking about, the videos and pictures online at sussexworld.co.uk forward slash sport,
00:37and you can check out other great videos on shotstv.com and freebie channel 262.
00:41You may also be watching on latest TV, so thank you very much for tuning in.
00:44But we'll start at the Amex, where Carlos Belieb's stunning effort decided and enthralling five-gold game,
00:50and go Brighton, a first Premier League winning six, trailing 2-1 to West Ham with a minute to go.
00:54The home side levelled through Kamuomitoma before, with almost a final kick of the game.
00:58Belieb of five powerfully passed Hammers keeper, Alphonse Areola, from outside the box.
01:02It was certainly a thriller, Darren. Sum that one up for us, if you can. Where'd you start?
01:07Yeah, I know. It was one of those matches. It was a really entertaining contest and had a bit of everything.
01:13And most importantly for Brighton, it had a last-minute winner as well,
01:17which they really needed because they'd been on this terrible run of form where they'd slipped down the table.
01:24But that one, the three points against West Ham puts them back into the mix for European football.
01:30So they've got four matches to go, starting this Saturday against Newcastle.
01:35And yeah, they're really pushing now for the European places.
01:39And you think the manner of the victory as well, with the last-minute strike,
01:44should really boost morale. There's nothing like a last-minute winner to get the crowd going,
01:51to get the team going. And you could just see the messages that Brighton players were posting on social media,
01:57how the fans were reacting to it. And even, I think Sam's going to talk about it later,
02:03but for Fabian Herzella as well, he hasn't always had the best relationship with the Brighton fans.
02:09But there was a moment there where he was, you know, really enjoying it.
02:14He was the crowd and he had a moment with the crowd as well.
02:17So hopefully that's sort of a turning point for him as well.
02:20So I was quite pleased for him in that, in that respect.
02:23But it was, they had their, so obviously Matoma was on the bench to start with.
02:29Lovely goal from Yasin Ayari to get Brighton going.
02:33And they were pegged back.
02:34Matoma came off the bench and looked a real threat as well.
02:37He's still recovering from his heel injury.
02:39So he's only playing a little bit at the moment, but he got the goal.
02:43And then Carlos Belieber.
02:44So it's probably Yasin Ayari, Matoma and Belieber have been three of Brighton's best players this season.
02:50So it was quite good to see them all make a major contribution.
02:54And Belieber's goal, he played at centre-back for the game because of Jan-Paul Van Hecker's head injury
03:00that he sustained against Brentford.
03:03And yeah, he powered forward and curled one in, in the last minute.
03:06So it's, how much is he worth now as well?
03:10So he's been brilliant this season.
03:11So I'm sure Brighton will be sort of fending off some bids for him, you know, after his performances.
03:18And that would have, you know, put him in the spotlight even more.
03:22But yeah, great, great, great game.
03:24Really, really good entertaining game.
03:25It was indeed.
03:27And just 180 seconds separating Matoma's equaliser and Belieber's dramatic winner.
03:32Sam, how season-defining could those 180 seconds be for Brighton and Fabian Hetzela?
03:36Is it the spark the Seagulls need to go on a run of results over the final four games and maybe qualify for Europe?
03:42I think so.
03:43It could be absolutely massive because simply it ended a run of six games without a win in all competitions.
03:48And things were looking really bleak and it looked like we're heading for a fourth defeat in five league games when Suchet completed the turnaround for the Hammers.
03:57And you kind of just felt like, yet again, Brighton were going to lose a Premier League game.
04:02And it was quite remarkable that after conceding so late on, they managed to turn the game on its head once again and to win the game.
04:09And it just shows kind of how much resilience is in the team.
04:13And despite all the blows they've been taking recently, they've still got that fight and belief in each other and the manager.
04:18And that was really great to see.
04:19And credit must go to Ray and Gruda.
04:21He got two assists, obviously, to win the game.
04:24First one was a great cushioned header for Matoma.
04:27Second one, admittedly, was probably more simple to give the ball to Believer and he let fly from distance.
04:34But yeah, I think that's really great to see because Gruda's obviously had limited minutes for Brighton.
04:40And just players like that can really make an impact, obviously, with players out injured, such as Jorginho, Rutter.
04:45So you need players to take their opportunity when they get them to really make a difference in these tight games.
04:52And they're going to definitely need that kind of inspiration from these players in the final few games of the season.
04:59But it definitely will be morale boosting in that race for the eighth place, which we know would likely secure a place in the Conference League next season.
05:06And just the unfortunate bit for Brighton is that Fulham also hit a late winner against Southampton to stay above Brighton.
05:13But Bournemouth conceded very late to draw against Manchester United, which was, yeah, that equaliser did Brighton a really big favour.
05:21So Albion back up to ninth, just below Fulham on goal difference.
05:24There's just actually three goals in it on goal difference.
05:26And the Seagulls have the benefit of six more goals scored across the season at the moment.
05:31They've got tough matches to finish the season against Champions League chasing Newcastle before travelling to in-form Wolves.
05:38Then they face Champions Liverpool before travelling to struggling Tottenham.
05:41But Fulham and Bournemouth run isn't much easier.
05:43The cottages have got Villa, Everton, Brentford and Man City.
05:46And the Cherries have got Arsenal, Aston Villa, City and Leicester.
05:49So, yes, and both teams have got some real tough matches coming up in the final four games.
05:55So, yeah, it'll be an interesting race for eighth place.
05:57But I think that that win at the weekend really does put Brighton in a good position.
06:02Hopefully they can build on it.
06:04Yeah, hopefully they can.
06:05And Darren, you mentioned Ayari.
06:07His goal against West Ham was his first for Albion since his arrival from Swedish club AIK in 2023.
06:12How impressive was the midfielder on the day?
06:15And how impressed have you been with him since he's got back into Herzell's start at XI?
06:18Yeah, he's been very good, very good, Matt.
06:22In fact, it's probably one of my favourite stories of the season, to be honest.
06:27He came from not much was expected of him, if I'm honest, this year.
06:31I thought at the beginning of the campaign he'd be sent out on another loan,
06:36especially when Brighton spent so much money bolstering their midfield as well.
06:41And he had a loan last season in the Championship with Blackburn and then Coventry.
06:48And, yeah, there was nothing in those performances with those two teams to suggest that he could have a major impact on Brighton this season.
06:58But he came out with a quote at the beginning of the season.
07:02He said, look, I don't care who Brighton signed.
07:04I don't care how much money they spend.
07:06Nobody's going to work harder than me.
07:08Nobody's going to try harder than me.
07:10And Sam was speaking about players taking their opportunities with Ruta being injured.
07:17And I just think Ayari, from the start, he's just taken his opportunity this season.
07:22And, again, credit to Herzella as well.
07:24He spotted something in him in pre-season.
07:28He had a good tour when they went over to Japan for pre-season.
07:33And he impressed in a couple of the friendlies over there and obviously made a good impression in the training and in the pre-season training camps.
07:40And Herzella spotted something in him that he thought, you know, I can use.
07:44And he's a very energetic player.
07:47He runs all day, which is so vital in the midfield, in the Premier League these days.
07:52But he's got a good touch, good passing, very good technically.
07:57And as you saw against West Ham, he can pick out a goal as well.
08:01And he's performing at a consistently high level.
08:05I'd still say there's room for improvement.
08:07You know, he's obviously still very young and he can get better and better.
08:11But he's playing well for his country.
08:13He's playing well at international level and for Brighton as well.
08:17So he's been a real success story this season.
08:19And if Brighton do manage to get over the line and get a European place this season, he would have been a major factor in that.
08:28So, yeah, full credit to him.
08:30Really good.
08:31Absolutely.
08:31Long way to continue.
08:33Post-match, West Ham boss Graham Potter held a, what can only be described as an incredibly bizarre press conference where he spoke about swearing and not being a robot.
08:41Loved it.
08:42Yeah, very odd.
08:44Sam, decipher what he was on about.
08:47And how was he received?
08:49Obviously, he left him under quite a cloud, didn't he, when he departed, Brian, for Chelsea.
08:54Was it a warm welcome he got?
08:56I wouldn't say a warm welcome.
08:57It certainly wasn't as bad as it was when he came back with Chelsea.
09:01That was obviously quite a hostile reception he got then.
09:04So I think it's toned down a little bit.
09:06But there were some jizz from the home fans when he arrived and when he departed the pitch at the end of the game.
09:11But it was a dreadful result for West Ham, whose dismal run extended to seven games without a win.
09:20He's taken, Poster's just taken us 13 points from 14 games since replacing Julian Lopetegui in January.
09:28So, yeah, so it's not going well, it's safe to say.
09:31And he really is feeding the pressure by the sounds of his post-match comments.
09:35And he said, we're unable to sustain what we need to do to win games in the Premier League at the moment.
09:40He was clearly fuming about the result.
09:42And he said, there's a physical requirement in the league.
09:45You have to be so fit and so physically strong to see out winning situations in difficult places,
09:49like Goodison Park, like Anfield and here at the Amex Stadium.
09:53So we're not able to see it.
09:53So everything is focused on that.
09:55It's a shame because there were lots of good things.
09:56But you can't take any solace because of the result.
09:59He said, the pain is pretty hard.
10:00The lads are devastated.
10:01We're all devastated.
10:02And you can't speak about the positives because no one wants to hear them.
10:06He was actually asked by Henry at Sussex World what he thought of Brighton's game plan
10:13and what it was like to be back at the Amex.
10:14And he said, whenever you win, you're a genius and you have all of these game plans.
10:18I don't know.
10:18I can't speak about Brighton, was his sharp response.
10:22So, yeah, he didn't want to dwell too much on that at all.
10:25And he kind of just said that congratulations to Brighton,
10:28but we're suffering as West Ham players and other fans.
10:31So he didn't understandably want to talk about other things apart from West Ham, obviously.
10:37He said, of course, I'm going to be frustrated.
10:38He's not a robot.
10:39He's a human being.
10:40He gives everything to what he's trying to do.
10:42Of course, he's going to be upset and frustrated.
10:45And he has to try and speak calmly in these interviews.
10:48But it's not how he's feeling inside.
10:49He said, if you want me to swear, I can swear, basically.
10:51So, yeah, absolute rollercoaster of an interview, really, from Graham Potter.
10:57And he clearly is feeding the pressure and probably understandably so with the results the way they are.
11:02And, yeah, I think when he was at Brighton, he obviously got a lot of stick for perhaps being two to the point
11:07and not showing enough emotion.
11:08I think there's a bit of that Chelsea as well.
11:10And he said, yeah, well, I think he said he couldn't really win.
11:14However, he was in these interviews where he was kind of like angry or calm
11:17and he just felt like there's no winning situation.
11:19So, yeah, he's definitely feeding the world on his shoulders at the moment, is Graham Potter.
11:24And, yeah, it's quite a fall from grace when you consider when he was at Brighton,
11:27everything was really rosy for him.
11:28And you felt like the England job could be in line for him.
11:32And he goes to Chelsea and it's gone a bit wrong there.
11:35And it's just all gone a bit downhill.
11:37So, I mean, for his sake, I hope he does pick up to what he was doing at Brighton
11:41and that brilliant run of form they had before he obviously got moved to Chelsea.
11:44It's not going too well for them at the moment.
11:46It was disappointing that Janus didn't say.
11:49Yeah, I want you to swear and to see what swear word he used to.
11:52Yeah.
11:53What swear words does he have?
11:55I have to add as well, when he said congratulations to Brighton,
11:59it was far, it wasn't a sincere congratulations.
12:02It was said through gritty teeth and a very, it wasn't sort of like sincere, but yeah.
12:09I find it quite amusing.
12:10All it took was a question from Henry to tip him over the edge.
12:13By that point, Ed Welland really had enough, bless him.
12:16We've all been there.
12:16We've all been there, Craig.
12:18Good work, Henry.
12:19Long way to continue.
12:20This Sunday, he sees Albion entertain Carabao Cup holders Newcastle.
12:25The Magpies beat Ipswich Town 3-0.
12:27It's in James' Park last weekend to move up to third in the Premier League
12:29and also relegate the Tractor Boys.
12:31How do you see this game going for Brighton there?
12:34And I think we say this every podcast, but it's another tough test for them.
12:37And what's the latest injury news from the Seagulls camp going into that one?
12:41It will be a tough test, yeah.
12:43And it's interesting as well with how Newcastle,
12:47I remember Graham Potter when he took the job at West Ham.
12:49He referenced Eddie Howe to say that he had a lot of time out of the game
12:54and then went to Newcastle and did a superb job then.
12:58And when Potter got the job at West Ham, he was hoping to repeat,
13:02you know, a similar level of success.
13:05And obviously, it hasn't quite worked out that way.
13:07Eddie Howe's done, you know, obviously very well at Newcastle
13:10and glad he's sort of back to health and leading the team once again.
13:16And they're third in the table.
13:18They've won six of their last seven.
13:20So they're going to be very, very strong.
13:23And they're pushing for the Champions League spots.
13:25It looks as though they'll be in Champions League football next.
13:28Next season.
13:31So a very tricky one for Brighton.
13:33But Brighton have beat them twice this season, both at St. James' Park,
13:37once in the FA Cup and once in the league.
13:40Danny Welbeck got the winner on both occasions.
13:43So, yeah, he'll be hoping to get a hat-trick of winners against Newcastle,
13:49I'm sure, this weekend.
13:51But it's a big game for Brighton.
13:53And sometimes Brighton are at their best when they're up against it.
13:57When you think that they're going to win, they always seem to struggle.
14:01And when, you know, they play these top teams,
14:04they seem to raise their game and produce better football.
14:07So I'm quite optimistic.
14:10I'm hoping that the late winner against West Ham will give everybody a lift,
14:14give the whole club a lift as well.
14:17They've got some players coming back in as well.
14:20So Joel Veltman was in the matchday squad against West Ham,
14:26but he didn't come on.
14:27He could potentially be a starter for this one now that he's fit.
14:32And if he plays, if Lewis Dunk plays again like he did against West Ham
14:36rather than what he did against Leicester,
14:38then Van Hecker is also likely to come back.
14:41He'll be assessed following the injury still.
14:45But he is expected to return to the starting XI as well.
14:50So, yeah, Brighton are in good shape.
14:52So hopefully they can continue that push for the European places against Newcastle.
14:59Yeah, it should be a great game.
15:00We will take a short break now,
15:02but stay tuned as we're discussing all things Crawley Town.
15:06Welcome back to part two.
15:07And we will start with the news that every Crawley Town fan has been dreading.
15:10And it has felt like it's been coming for a while,
15:12but the Reds have been relegated from League One.
15:15Crawley were demoted after Burton claimed the point they needed to secure safety
15:18after a home draw with Wigan on Tuesday night.
15:21It goes without saying, Mark.
15:23Incredibly disappointing they've gone down.
15:25But what has the reaction to the news been that they've gone down
15:28from the supporters in the club?
15:29And where did it go wrong for the Reds this season?
15:32I know that's probably going to be quite a long answer,
15:33but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that.
15:35Yeah, there's quite a lot that went wrong this year, wasn't there?
15:37But the reaction-wise, it's been quite accepting, really.
15:41I think after that late Burton goal on Saturday against Cambridge United,
15:46which just took the wind out, you felt the whole stadium just deflate.
15:51There was such a good feel-good atmosphere after the win,
15:54and they were one-all Burton, and then they scored three minutes into injury time.
15:58But I think after last night, it was just, right, let's get on to next season.
16:02There's so much optimism now because of what Scott Lindsay's achieved
16:06in these last eight games so far, nine on Saturday.
16:10So I think, yeah, I think generally it hasn't been like all doom and gloom,
16:15which you would expect normally when a team is relegated.
16:18But for where it went wrong, I mean, you could start at the summer, couldn't you?
16:24So some people would blame it on that, getting rid of half the squad.
16:28But I kind of look at that in the sense of, look where all those players are now.
16:32I know it's different.
16:33Different players flourish at different places at different times, et cetera.
16:38But half the MK Dons, well, half the players went to MK Dons.
16:42Look where they are in League Two.
16:44Corey Adai isn't getting selected for Stockport.
16:47Will Wright, Swindon, they were struggling for a long time,
16:50but they're doing okay, doing okay now.
16:51Danilo Orsi was at Burton, scored a few goals,
16:55but then got put on loan to MK Dons.
16:59Yeah, so you can look at all those players and that and just think,
17:04would they, even with Scott Lindsay, if they'd all stuck together,
17:07would they have done well in League One?
17:09We don't know.
17:11There's lots of ists and buts in this answer.
17:13But then, yeah, Lindsay leaving is obviously a big, massive thing.
17:18And there's the appointment of Rob Elliott, who had a good record.
17:22He did not, obviously, wasn't proving anywhere near League One level,
17:26but had a good record.
17:27But he only won, I think it was six of 33 games that he was in charge of.
17:33And that's just obviously not good enough.
17:35And you would have thought, given if they didn't want to get relegated,
17:38they should have made the change earlier.
17:40If you make the change earlier, Scott Lindsay might not be available.
17:43So, another ifs and buts.
17:46But you look at the games, certainly under Rob Elliott, the Exeter game,
17:51huge, 4-1 up at halftime.
17:54No team should be throwing away a 4-1 lead at halftime to draw 1-0.
17:58So, that's two points dropped.
18:01The Wrexham game, which was nobody's fault, they played so well that game.
18:05Bradley Evern scores that stunning equaliser in the last minute.
18:08And then Elliot Lee pulls every Crawley Town defender to the ground
18:13before he gets to the ball and the goal and scores.
18:17That denies another point.
18:19Peterborough, the last minute penalty given away by Adi Adi Yemo.
18:24But they lose 4-3.
18:26That's another point.
18:27Stevenage, they were 1-0 in two goals in the last couple of minutes.
18:31That's another point.
18:33Bolton away, they were 3-1 up and lost 4-3.
18:35So, you can look at all these results and performances, majority under Rob Elliott,
18:40where they just couldn't hold on to a really good lead.
18:44They played really well in part for half a game.
18:47And then it just...
18:49Yeah, so there's lots of things you could point out.
18:52I think a lot of the fans will point at Wagme and say,
18:54you shouldn't have got rid of all of our team.
18:56I was just going to ask you that, Mark.
18:58I know that probably Crawley fans are sat there listening going,
19:01go on, hammer Wagme.
19:02But can they shoulder some portion of the blame?
19:06I don't think it's entirely on them, I must admit.
19:09It's not entirely on them at all.
19:10No, I don't think so.
19:11And it's funny, going back to the reaction,
19:15there wasn't a lot aimed at Wagme.
19:18There was a lot of comments aimed at Wagme.
19:19He said, right, back, Scott, now.
19:21This is where you can sort of save yourself kind of thing.
19:25But, yeah, I don't think you can.
19:27But, I mean, it would have been interesting.
19:29It would have been lovely to see that squad of last year have a chance of having a go at League One,
19:35just to see how they would have got on.
19:37Personally, they might have survived, but I don't think they would have set the world alight.
19:42There would have been a lot of frustrating results.
19:45If Scott Lindsay had saved the whole season, me and you went through the stats this morning, didn't we?
19:49We did, indeed.
19:50I think we're going to get on to it in a bit, aren't we?
19:52We are, yes.
19:52Yeah, so we'll get on to that in a bit.
19:54But his points average, if he'd stayed the whole season, could have been a different story.
20:00But they didn't, yeah, they still lack that.
20:03I mean, Hepburn Murphy's been really good in the last few games,
20:06but they still lack that proper goal scorer up top.
20:10The Nilo Orsi, the goal poacher, they still need that.
20:13So there's lots of things you point out.
20:15Yeah, Wagme can certainly shoulder some of the blame.
20:18One for the squad and one for not acting quicker with Rob Elliott,
20:23because there was at one point where you just sense,
20:26Rob Elliott's not the right man for this job.
20:27Lovely bloke.
20:29Obviously got some good ideas, but it was too much of a jump for him from National League to League One.
20:33So you can blame Wagme for that part of it,
20:37but I think Rob Elliott's got to shoulder a lot of blame for the performance of some of the decisions.
20:41At one point, there was a run of games where every time he made a substitute,
20:45they seemed to let in a goal.
20:46And I know you can't blame him specifically,
20:50but if they hadn't made the substitute, probably wouldn't let in a goal and things like that.
20:54So I think, yeah, a bit of Wagme, a bit of Rob Elliott,
20:57and obviously the players are the ones that go on the pitch and do it.
21:00So some of them have to shoulder some responsibility as well.
21:03Certainly the defence at times, I would say.
21:05Yeah, I think that's a very reasonable answer.
21:06That was a long enough answer for you, wasn't it?
21:08This is an extra long episode today, I think.
21:14Mark mentioned that we did some number crunching
21:16and we worked out the Reds manager, Scott Lindsay, has averaged,
21:20we think, 1.42 points per game in all the League One games he's managed this season.
21:24That includes his first few games at the start of the season and his return,
21:28which over 45 matches, we'll put them in the top half of the table.
21:31We think it would have put them 9th or 10th, depending on goal difference.
21:35But with all that being said, Sam, I know it's early days.
21:38Is there a sense that Cordy could make, not maybe an instant return,
21:42but certainly be up there next season under Lindsay in League Two?
21:46A hundred percent, yeah.
21:47I think it's possible under Scott Lindsay.
21:50We've seen he nearly worked a miracle.
21:52If a couple of results had gone slightly differently,
21:54it could very much have been a case of keeping Cordy in the League,
21:59which when he took over seemed scarcely believable when you think how far behind the pack they actually were.
22:05And they really, really did put it really close.
22:08And it really was a point here and there have made such a huge difference.
22:12I mean, there's so many results you can look back on,
22:14but particularly that Peter McGain and the last minute winner in the second 4-3 of the season.
22:20And just things like that, obviously, the Wrexham one,
22:22where they were obviously really hard done by to lose.
22:25So, so late on when it was obviously a foul and build up to the goal.
22:29And just so many cases where they've been winning and they've managed to lose or draw.
22:33And it's a shame in that sense that obviously they did have that opportunity.
22:37And obviously, it kind of summed up the season where Cordy had obviously had a 3-0 win against Northampton.
22:43We're celebrating the fact that Cambridge had equalised against Burton.
22:47And suddenly the dream was back on again.
22:49And then next thing you know, Burton have scored the winner.
22:53And obviously, Scott and the players have found out as they're doing an app of appreciation.
22:56So, it was a real bitter pill to swallow.
22:58And Burton then obviously got the job done.
23:00But it was obviously Ronan Darcy that scored the equaliser for Wigan last night.
23:03So, in an alternate reality somewhere, that goal from Ronan Darcy kept Crawley in the league.
23:09But unfortunately, it wasn't to be.
23:11But I think, yeah, next season, I think if you keep hold of the core group of players
23:14and not make the same mistake as this season,
23:17as obviously because of let too many players go.
23:19So, I think it would probably be easier to keep hold of their best players after relegation
23:24than it was after a promotion.
23:26So, there's that silver lining.
23:28But I would love to see players like Hepburn Murphy, Charlie Barker, Jeremy Kelly stay,
23:32just to name just a few.
23:33They need to get the goalkeeping situation sorted.
23:36Toby Stewart looked good in a couple of games he played at the end of the season.
23:40So, yeah, see what happens with him.
23:43It would be interesting to see if they can tempt Kamari Doyle to come back for another season,
23:48and perhaps on the line, I know they've flirted with the idea of how much would it take.
23:54Yeah, it would be incredible.
23:56So, I think from his point of view, he's probably going to want to go to a League One side,
24:00or even Championship, to be honest, because he was brilliant in League One this season.
24:04So, yeah, it'll be a tough one to try and get back, but you never know.
24:09And I'm sure Scott Lindsay's got some plans up his sleeve in terms of signings and whatnot.
24:12So, yeah, I think there's plenty of reasons to be positive for Crowley,
24:15and hopefully they'll have a really strong season in League Two
24:18and be promoted back to League One the following year.
24:21Fingers crossed.
24:22I think we're in for a very interesting summer, by all accounts.
24:25But as you mentioned there, Sam, the Reds did manage to pick up a fine win on Saturday
24:29against Northampton in their final home game of the campaign.
24:32Rush in, Hepburn Murphy, Jeremy Kelly and the aforementioned Kamari Doyle
24:36were all on target as Crawley swept the Cobblers aside,
24:38and it sounded like a complete performance all round, Mark.
24:42It really was.
24:46People always talk about teams being on the beach, like Northampton and Exeter,
24:50in the last two games, and people always say,
24:53oh, no, they won't be their professionals and that.
24:55Northampton had no intensity whatsoever.
24:59I mean, and that's not to take anything for the way Crawley played.
25:01Crawley didn't let Northampton get into the game at all,
25:04but you could tell that there was a team playing for something
25:07and there was a team not playing for anything.
25:10And they had a horrible kit as well, Northampton.
25:13I don't know if you've seen the kit.
25:13Yellow and burgundy, it was horrible.
25:16But Crawley, I mean, we're getting on to why it was a particularly emotional day later,
25:21but it was a really, really good performance.
25:24And the only disappointment, and Scott Lindsay actually called it a big regret afterwards,
25:28was they didn't score more goals because, obviously, at some point,
25:31it looked like Crawley were taking it to the last game.
25:34And if they'd scored three or four more goals, which they probably should have,
25:37for the chances they had, they could have closed that gap on the goal difference with Burton.
25:42But in the end, that was irrelevant.
25:44But they were really good.
25:47Hepburn Murphy, I mean, he could have had a hat-trick easily.
25:50And it was a surprise.
25:52It took them 39 minutes to take the lead.
25:54It was a really good goal, really good finish.
25:57A lovely ball from Panucci Camera, I think it was.
26:00Was it Jeremy Kelly?
26:01I can't remember which one.
26:03But then, yeah, and then the second half, it was just one-way traffic, the whole way.
26:09And they could have had loads.
26:10Loads.
26:10They could have won 6-0, and it wouldn't have been unfair on Northampton.
26:15Hepburn Murphy, yeah.
26:16It was a bit disappointing.
26:17He couldn't add two or three more goals to his tally because he was just running them absolutely ragged.
26:24Jeremy Kelly, bit of a spoiler for Sam's next bit, but he won Crawley Observer Player of the Year,
26:32which I awarded to him after the game.
26:34And he was magnificent again.
26:36He was so good.
26:37He just has this ability just to get the ball and just turn on a sixpence,
26:42and you see, like, they might have two or three Northampton players on him,
26:45and then suddenly they've all gone the wrong way because he's just turned so quickly.
26:49He's fantastic to watch.
26:52Yeah, Kamari Doyle, when he came on, was really good.
26:56Yeah, no, just Panucci Camera in the last three or four games has been absolutely magnificent.
27:01I've been quite critical of him this year.
27:03I didn't think he certainly wasn't up to the levels he was when he was first at Crawley,
27:06when he became a fan's favourite.
27:08But he was brilliant again on Saturday.
27:11So, yeah, all he does is give real optimism going into next season because Scott Lindsay had that team playing.
27:19But you look at those players, you don't know who's got relegation clauses in there, contracts, things like that.
27:26Some of them will be wanting to play in League One next season.
27:30And some of them might want to think, right, no, we've got something good here.
27:34We can get back to League One.
27:35They're all quite young.
27:36So it'll be interesting to see who they do keep and who they release and that.
27:42So, no, but real optimism for next year.
27:44And it was just a really good occasion.
27:46And it was just gutting at the end of the game when all the players went to the dressing room,
27:52came back out to see all the fans, say goodbye, thanks for your support for their last home game.
27:57And Scott Lindsay said, as they were going around clapping the crowd,
28:01one fan that he sort of recognised looked at him and just went like that, meaning,
28:07no, meaning, obviously, that Burton have scored.
28:09Yeah.
28:09Because he, sorry, that looked really threatening you.
28:15Scott didn't do that bad.
28:16Yeah.
28:19And, yeah, and I got it on video and I tweeted it.
28:24Like, Scott Lindsay went over to Sam Gadsden, he had his phone out,
28:27and you saw Scott Lindsay turn away and just say an expletive, shall we say,
28:31and just looked really disappointed.
28:33And then he just clapped the crowd for the rest of it sort of thing.
28:35You could see.
28:36And then in the press conference afterwards, you could tell by the body language,
28:39it was just like, although mathematically it wasn't over, it was over kind of thing.
28:43So really good occasion, though, and a really good performance.
28:48Yeah.
28:48And you've mentioned the award there, Mark.
28:49Sorry, Chuck.
28:50I'm just going to have to say goodbye.
28:53I'll just need to nip away quickly.
28:55And just for the score prediction, I think Brighton's going to be draw 2-2 against Newcastle.
29:01Lovely.
29:02All right, Darren.
29:03See you, mate.
29:03Thank you, Darren.
29:04See you next time.
29:08Yeah, we'll have to remember that.
29:10Yeah, I'll probably go for a draw as well, but we'll come on to that later on.
29:13You mentioned the end-of-season awards there, Mark.
29:15Yeah, who won what, Sam?
29:18I think there was a player, apart from Mark, who bucked the trend a little bit.
29:22There was a player who swept a little bit, didn't they?
29:25Yes, Charlie Barker won two awards.
29:27It's obviously been a disappointing season for the Reds on the pitch,
29:30but Barker has been a real bright spark for Crawley.
29:33The 22-year-old defender picked up the Player's Player Award,
29:35presented by club captain Dion Conroy,
29:38and also the Player of the Season Award, presented by Scott Lindsay himself.
29:42Groundsman Ben Harwood was awarded the Danny Ballman Award
29:45for outstanding contribution for his unwavering commitment
29:48and dedication to the club over the last 14 years.
29:50That was presented by General Manager Tom Allman.
29:53Jane Hillman won the Clubman Award for the fantastic work
29:57with the first team this season.
29:58That was presented by Vice-Chairman Ben Levin.
30:02And as Mark's mentioned, the Crawley Observer Player of the Year
30:04went to none other than Jeremy Kelly,
30:06who's one of the few players that's still remaining from last season
30:10in that promotion campaign.
30:12And he's been brilliant yet again for Crawley,
30:15despite that step up to League One.
30:17He's been fantastic and just so consistent throughout the season,
30:19was a very deserved winner.
30:22And Bradley Ibrahim won Gold of the Season
30:24for his stunning strike against Wrexham at the Broadfield Stadium,
30:27which unfortunately was in a defeat.
30:30As I mentioned earlier on, it was a bit of an unjust defeat
30:35against Wrexham there.
30:36And that could have been, yeah, obviously very costly
30:38in Crawley's relegation in the end.
30:40But a stunning goal that definitely deserved more than the result
30:43on the day.
30:43Just before I mention, the way we did our award was based
30:49on the player ratings, and it was the average over the season.
30:52So every game, our journalists will rate them out of 10.
30:57And I think Jeremy Kelly averaged 7.2 something.
31:00So you can tell how low the player ratings were for most of the season.
31:04But he just edged out Charlie Barker, who would have swept all the awards,
31:08pretty much all the awards.
31:10And Charlie Barker was up for goal of the season as well.
31:12So he could have easily won all of them, apart from the clubman
31:16and the year and that or whatever.
31:17But I would have given it to him because he's been brilliant.
31:20So...
31:20There you go.
31:22Well, as you alluded to earlier, Mark,
31:24it was very much an emotional day.
31:26The Broadfield Stadium is Corrie Town paid tribute
31:28to Ken Blackmore, who passed away this week.
31:31Treble Ken, as he was affectionately known,
31:33was a lifelong fan and club volunteer and loved by all who knew him.
31:37For those who didn't know Ken, what was he like, Mark?
31:40I'm sure that the Reds went all out to celebrate his life.
31:42And was it a fitting day for him?
31:45Well, first of all, yeah, it was a really fitting day.
31:48You could sense the emotion as soon as you turned up at the ground.
31:51All the stewards...
31:52You could tell there was a sadness around the place.
31:55But also, you walked in the stadium, there was flowers outside.
31:58What did it say?
32:01Because they've got a red brick wall on the stadium outside
32:04where fans could have bought a little red brick.
32:07And he had bought one.
32:07And it said, Crawley till I die.
32:11And in brackets, and beyond.
32:13And it's just like, really...
32:14That's a really poignant kind of message from him from above, as it were.
32:19And then you walked into the press room where he always made...
32:22He made cups of tea for everyone, looked after the press,
32:25told them where to sit, helped them find their plugs
32:27if they needed them and that.
32:29And there was a picture and flowers there.
32:31His seat was...
32:33His baseball cap and some flowers were on the seat he sat in during games.
32:38There was a minute's applause beforehand.
32:40Penuche Camara held up a Crawley shirt at the end
32:43with Travel Ken number one on.
32:45Because Travel Ken was how he's known,
32:46because he used to organise the away trips.
32:49And then he used to go to all the games
32:50and commentate with Gary Smith on the BBC and I follow.
32:53But he was just a huge, huge character
32:57that everyone at Crawley in town knew.
33:00He was a lifelong fan and he's a club volunteer for years.
33:04Scott Lindsay said afterwards he used to love watching him
33:06shuffle around the corridors.
33:08I mean, I've been obviously covering Crawley on and off
33:10for 20 years now.
33:12And I've turned up to the ground
33:14and seen Ken painting, drilling things,
33:17cleaning, putting up shelves, making tea, just everything.
33:23He just did absolutely everything.
33:25And he was such a character.
33:26I mean, me and Sam spoke to his son on Saturday
33:29and Sam mentioned that about...
33:32I mean, I think there was one game
33:34where Sam turned up very close to kick-off.
33:38And what I like to call grinner time,
33:40because that's when grinning is...
33:41Brain card for anyone, you know.
33:43And from that moment, every game,
33:48he'd have a go at Sam for being late.
33:51And that was the kind of character he was.
33:52He had a joke with everyone.
33:54He had banter and he was just...
33:56Yeah, he was a brilliant...
33:57He was a real, real character, yeah.
34:00Yeah, he's a brilliant, brilliant guy.
34:01And I really, really enjoyed
34:03kind of chatting to him at match days.
34:06And he really was always happy, wasn't he, Mark, really?
34:08He was just a really lovely chat to be around,
34:10making all the teas and coffees for the journalists and stuff.
34:12So, yeah, they'll be really missed.
34:14The match, according to Hange, won't be the same.
34:16So, yeah, won't be the same without him.
34:19And I just want to say,
34:20the players absolutely love him as well,
34:21because there was a...
34:22Before every game,
34:23Wednesday came out to train and that.
34:25Like last year, when Danilo Orsi,
34:26every time he came out,
34:27he'd just shout from the stand,
34:28feed the horse!
34:30And things like that.
34:31And the fans...
34:32Yeah, the players and the fans absolutely love him.
34:35Yes.
34:35He'll be sorely missed.
34:36He will indeed.
34:37And we'd obviously like to extend
34:38our deepest sympathies to the Blackmoor family as well.
34:41And as Sam and Mark said,
34:43he will be dearly, dearly missed.
34:46Crawley Town end their League One campaign
34:48at Bottle of the Table.
34:49Shrewsbury this Saturday,
34:51and I'm sure the Reds will want to end the season.
34:53Hi, Sam.
34:53How do you see this one going?
34:55This can be a quick answer,
34:56because there's nothing in this game.
34:58Yeah, exactly.
34:59Nothing riding on this game, unfortunately.
35:01But I can see Crawley winning
35:02to end the season on a bit of a high.
35:05The goals are flying in at the moment.
35:06Six scored and just won conceded in the last three games.
35:09Shrewsbury rock bottom of the league.
35:10I can't even see a Crawley win.
35:12Well, go on then.
35:13We'll rattle through these score predictions then.
35:15We'll start at Shrewsbury.
35:16Shrewsbury, Crawley, what are we going for?
35:17Starting with you.
35:18Oh, we'll start with you, Sam.
35:20I'm going to go with a 3-0 win to Crawley.
35:24Mark?
35:25One better.
35:25I'm going to go 4-0.
35:274-0.
35:27That'd be great into the season, Crawley.
35:29And Darren has already given his score prediction
35:31for Brighton against Newcastle.
35:32He's going for a draw.
35:33Mark, how do you see this one going on Sunday?
35:36A Newcastle win, I reckon.
35:37I reckon 2-1 Newcastle.
35:40Yeah, I can only see a Newcastle win.
35:42What about you, Sam?
35:42What do you reckon?
35:44Oh, it's a tough one to call.
35:46I think Brighton with the home advantage.
35:48I think a one-all draw.
35:50One-all draw, and I think they'll take that as well.
35:52Well, brilliant.
35:52Thank you very much for joining us this week, chap,
35:54so you can catch up with all the latest sports news
35:55covering everything we have talked about today.
35:57It's sussexworld.co.uk forward slash sport,
36:00and you can watch more excellent videos on shotstv.com
36:02and Freeview Channel 262.
36:04Thank you very much for tuning in,
36:06and we will see you all next week.