Source: Northern_Echo
Crawley boss comments could fire up Darlington
Darlington head to Crawley Town today having been accused of being a long-ball team by the manager of the champions-elect.[LNB] Steve Evans, boss of the runaway league leaders, expects Quakers to adopt kick-and-rush tactics at the Broadfield Stadium when Mark Cooper's men bid to make it two away wins on the trot.[LNB] A 1-0 success at Grimsby Town on Tuesday means Darlington retain an outside chance of reaching the play-offs, though Cooper concedes that dropping points at the beginning of the season could prove costly.[LNB] Since then, however, Quakers have adopted a new formation and aim to play attractive football, something which appears to have escaped Evans' attention.[LNB] Referring to Darlington, he said: "They have been in excellent form. Any team that can win at Grimsby and put four past Fleetwood Town has something about them.[LNB] "Mark Cooper has done a good job at Darlington, he will have them very organised and they will play a very direct, long-ball game. That we know for certain."[LNB] Evans has not always endeared himself to supporters of rival clubs while his achievements in the game have been overshadowed by revelations off-the-field during his time at Boston United.[LNB] His comments about Quakers will do little to improve his status among Darlington fans who have watched their side put in some eye-catching performances of late.[LNB] However, Cooper admits that his team were not at their fluid best on Tuesday.[LNB] "We've chosen a way of playing football recently which has been pleasing on the eye and has excited our supporters," he said.[LNB] "Yet we could only get a point out of our last two home games after playing reasonably well. At Grimsby we put in a solid, workmanlike performance, not that pretty, but it was enough for three points.[LNB] "It just shows what a crazy league this is. We created so many chances last week when we drew with Kettering and again on Saturday when we lost, but on Tuesday we didn't play as well but won."[LNB] A Crawley win today would push them closer to the title. They are 13 points clear of Wimbledon while they boast a formidable home record having scored 50 league goals in 19 matches.[LNB] In contrast, only one side - Altrincham - have scored fewer goals on the road than Darlington.[LNB] Whereas Crawley can look forward to clinching the crown that Quakers lifted 21 years ago, Darlington have nine matches left to hoist themselves into the top five - they are ten points adrift.[LNB] Cooper admitted: "I'd say we've got to win at least seven out of our last nine games, maybe draw another and hope other teams drop some points. It's a big ask.[LNB] "I've looked at the results from earlier this season, we should have had 21 points from our opening ten games and instead we won just 15. That extra six points now would put us right back in the mix, so we look back now and, as I'd feared at the time, we're living to rue those dropped points."[LNB] Quakers travelled yesterday and used Chelsea's training facilities, an option available due to midfielder Paul Terry being the brother of the Blues' captain.[LNB] If Cooper's men are to record only their fourth away win of the season they must do so without a clutch of players, including centre-back Adam Quinn. He was recalled on Tuesday but is ineligible due to the terms of his transfer from Crawley in January.[LNB] Jamie Chandler (broken hand) remains sidelined while Aman Verma (groin strain) and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (thigh strain) are doubts.[LNB] "There's no pressure on us going to Crawley whatsoever. We'll go there and enjoy it," said Cooper. "It's like going to play a League One side, they've got the best players in this league by a million miles, whichever team they put out, they'll all be top players.[LNB] "They deserve to be where they are and good luck to them. Yes they've spent a few quid but you have to spend it in the right areas when you've got it and Steve Evans has done a fantastic job.[LNB] "There won't be many people expecting us to get anything, that's for sure, but nobody expected us to get anything at Wimbledon earlier in the season."[LNB] n Darlington sold 2,400 tickets on the first day of the sale yesterday for the FA Trophy final, including 1,100 in the first hour.[LNB]
