Crawley Town boss reveals the extra motivation for his side in win over Hartlepool United

Askey had made reference to the estimated number of supporters Crawley would bring to the Suit Direct Stadium ahead of their crunch relegation battle to highlight what he felt was the difference between the two clubs with Hartlepool expecting their biggest crowd of the season.

That much proved to be true, with over 6,800 in attendance, which also included 259 from Crawley.

But it was those Crawley supporters who went home celebrating as Dom Telford’s double helped to all but seal Hartlepool’s relegation fate.

"They were fantastic,” Lindsey said of Crawley’s travelling support.

“Their manager made a comment saying we were a small club and we would only bring 150 fans. I used that comment in our meeting this morning. We are a small club but we have passionate fans.

"He was wrong, there were not 150, there were 259. And we do deserve to be at this level because you have picked enough points up to be at this level.”

Full-back Nick Tsaroulla, who played a part in Crawley’s opening goal of the game, also highlighted how Askey’s pre-match comments were used as fuel to claim three points at the Suit Direct Stadium.

“There was extra motivation,” he said.

“The gaffer gave us a good team talk with plenty of motivation and By’s [Darren Byfield] read out a tweet that someone had put out which I liked a lot, so I’m glad we went out there and did the job.”

But despite his motivating team talk, Lindsey still had to hope his players would go out and execute his game plan, something he felt they did extremely well when managing the game amid a raucous Suit Direct Stadium atmosphere.

“I thought it was a game we managed really well,” said Lindsey.

“We had to win the game no matter what and we came into it with a real intent and you could feel it around the place. At the hotel this morning was really positive, the journey to the stadium was positive and in the dressing was really positive. We just had to get the job done in our eyes.

“I don’t think we played any great football, as it were, but I thought we managed the game really well and managed key moments brilliantly.

“They caused us a few problems. Jennings was coming off deep, which we’d worked on, but he was coming so deep that what we’d worked on wasn’t working so we had to reshuffle a little bit at half-time which nullified him, I felt.

“But I’m delighted. The players were outstanding.”

It’s a result which leaves Crawley on the verge of safety where only a single point, or Hartlepool failing to win either of their final two matches, will see them playing League Two football again next season.

“It was a tough one,” said Crawley midfielder Jack Powell.

“They’re going to have moments, they’re fighting for their lives as much as we are, but I feel like we were the better team and we deserved to win the game and we’re buzzing to be back at home next week and to finish the job off.”