The Other Side - Crawley Town

United head to West Sussex on Saturday and are hosted by a Crawley Town side looking to extend their five-match unbeaten league run. Steve Evans' men currently lie in tenth place, and will be boosted by the unexpected appearance of star striker Charles Ademeno, who was tipped to depart the club before the close of the January transfer window.

Evans hopes Town can make a push for the play-offs now the former United man is staying put and, although certain the 21-year old will eventually further his career, is delighted to keep him at the Broadfield Stadium. Swindon, MK Dons, Southampton and an unnamed Scottish Premier League side were interested as Monday's deadline loomed, but a deal could not be completed. Evans said later that day, "Personal terms were only agreed with a club ten minutes before the 5.00pm deadline but, despite the best attempts of both clubs, the paperwork could not be with the Football Association and The Football League in time, thus Charlie remains a Reds player" The ex-Boston boss added, "As a manager I am delighted Charlie is still here. He is a superb young talent and was much sought after but we stuck with the valuation which, in our opinion, is in line with his ability and potential. Charlie and I had a chat afterwards and his and our focus is now on Cambridge United this Saturday."

However, the Crawley hierarchy may have banked on selling Ademeno. Striker Jefferson Louis extended his loan period at Rushden & Diamonds this week and Evans' made it clear he would like to have kept the journeyman forward had it not been for financial restraints. Meanwhile, Evans and his assistant Paul Raynor, another ex-United man, deferred their November and December salaries as a 'gesture of appreciation towards the club's board' and to help Town towards a debt-free future. Despite this and, following several years of struggle in addition to seemingly perennial points deductions, Town are now in a far healthier financial state than they were, thanks to new owners who have cleared £500,000 of debt since taking over in April 2008 and who strive to operate cost-effectively on a day-to-day basis.

Last season saw Town finish in ninth place, eleven points from the play-offs. However, considering Evans men started the campaign so well, they will have been disappointed. Eight wins and two draws from their opening twelve matches ensured a statement was made to the rest of the division, with fancied Torquay, Oxford, Mansfield, Rushden and Kettering all defeated. Strikers Jamie Cook, Jon-Paul Pittman and defender Adam Quinn were scoring regularly, and Town sat top of the table in mid-October following a 4-0 thumping of Barrow but, this proved the seasonal high point as five games passed without victory, and a slump to seventh ensued. They were also dumped out of the FA Cup by Havant & Waterlooville, who romped to a 3-0 away win. Further disenchantment then surfaced when Town were deducted four points for fielding an ineligible player, Isaiah Rankin, although, this was later reduced to a single point.

There was brief respite when Evans' men went six league games without defeat heading into the New Year, but inconsistency proved the key as just two victories unfolded before March. There was some success in the FA Trophy as United were hammered 5-0 at the Abbey but, as if to highlight their Jekyll & Hyde character, were again beaten by Havant & Waterlooville in the Setanta Shield. Unfortunately for Town, Pittman's hatrick against the U's sealed a move to Wycombe, although, consecutive home wins over Weymouth and Wrexham gave them brief renewed hope of reaching the play-offs. However, with the remaining dozen games producing just three wins and goals drying up, dreams faded.

This will be our sixth trip to Crawley, with the first coming during the 1969/70 season. A 2-0 win helped United in winning the Southern League Championship, but this has proved our only away success alongside two defeats and two draws. Overall, those two draws contribute to eleven meetings, with Saturday's hosts ahead by five victories to four. The biggest victory for either side came at the Abbey in February 1970 when Bill Leivers men romped home 8-0.

The Squad

Over the summer Evans trimmed his personnel, with a long list of players shown the exit including ex-United man Lee Blackburn and Isaiah Rankin, whilst loanees Jon Shaw, Robbie Matthews, Santos Gaia, Gavin Hurren and the talented Michael Malcolm all returned to their parent clubs. More of a blow was the loss of both influential midfielder Dannie Bulman and striker Jamie Cook to promotion favourites Oxford just weeks into the new season, whilst centre-half Jake Wright signed for Brighton. Also moving into the League were youngsters Danny Mills and Romone McCrae, whose talent was spotted by Peterborough.

To counter-balance a steady flow of players leaving the Broadfield Stadium Evans recruited six new faces, including central defender Karl Broadhurst. The 29-year old brings experience from over 200 appearances for Bournemouth and has been a regular in the back line this season. He will probably be partnered on Saturday by the mountainous Adam Quinn, who has an eye for goal from set pieces.

The full back positions are filled by left-sided ex-Brighton youth Sam Rents and the highly-rated Glen Wilson, who can fill in at centre-half when not patrolling the right flank. Wilson, though, faces a late fitness test on his hamstring. Donning the goalkeeper jersey behind them will be Canadian Simon Rayner, who spent three years in the Football League with Lincoln.

There has been hot competition for the central midfield berths this season, with Thomas Pinault, one time United trialist Eddie Hutchinson, Simon Rusk and Ben Smith all vying for places. The latter trio arrived in Sussex during the close season. Arsenal youth Smith did the rounds with Reading, Hereford, Yeovil, Southend and Shrewsbury, then dropped into non-league with Weymouth before being snapped up by Town. Hutchinson spent five years at Brentford and another three at Oxford, whilst Rusk joined from York to link up with a Manager he previously played under at Boston. Speedy Frenchman Pinault likes to play an offensive midfield role and can operate in a front three should the formation dictate. Another to sign a summer deal was the aforementioned Michael Malcolm who returned when Weymouth were relegated. The tricky left-winger has caused United's problems in the past so his battle with Dan Gleeson will be one to watch. On the opposite side could be Lewis Killeen, who flew the nest from Halifax following their demise in 2008. Providing competition for the regular midfielders is Killeen's former Halifax team mate Danny Forrest and versatile Irishman Barry Cogan, who spent last season with Grays and is equally at home in the back four.

Up front Jamie Cook was replaced by the earlier mentioned Ademeno, who arrived from Southend and has eight goals to date. During his loan spell at the Abbey in 2006/07 Ademeno wore black & amber on six occasions and his only goal came in a 2-2 draw at Morecambe, He has since enjoyed temporary spells at Welling, Rushden and Salisbury before joining Town last July. Ademeno often plays as a lone striker, but should Evans opt for a partnership then either Michael Malcolm or Danny Forrest will step up. Ex-Peterborough front man Calum Willock has been accompanying Ademeno this season, but after bagging just two goals in eighteen games was told today that his contract was not being renewed.

This season

Despite a shocking 4-0 loss at Mansfield on the opening day of the season, Town went on to record three straight victories. A 1-0 win at the Abbey saw Jamie Cook score his last goal for the club, whilst Forest Green and Wrexham were gunned down at home, Cook again scoring in both games. The home record overall boasts seven victories, with an impressive roll call of Kettering, Rushden, York and Histon all falling victim. Nevertheless, the majority of their home success came earlier in the season, and they have now won just once since the end of October. The Broadfield Stadium fans have witnessed defeats against Mansfield, Barrow and leaders Oxford, with the heaviest loss inflicted by Gateshead who returned north with a 4-1 triumph. Town's last two home games with Eastbourne and Kidderminster both ended in a 2-2 draw.

Impressively, to compliment their success at the Abbey, victories have been gleaned from their last three away games at Tamworth, Eastbourne and Grays. The latter was particularly memorable for Ademeno, who smashed in a four-minute hatrick which, remarkably, came inside the first six minutes. Sitting alongside that heavy defeat at Mansfield are six further losses, although, valuable draws have been taken from Altrincham, Wimbledon and Ebbsfleet. Evans will hope their current away form continues if they are to sustain a challenge for the play-offs.

Doug Shulman

The views expressed on this page are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cambridge United Football Club or the webmaster.

WJ050210 web@cambridge-united.co.uk