Ademeno: We are happy with points on the board (From The Argus)

Ademeno: We are happy with points on the board

3:30pm Monday 15th March 2010 in

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CHARLIE Ademeno says Crawley Town would rather have points on the board than games in on their play-off rivals.

The Reds striker struck a sublime winner against Ebbsfleet on Saturday to move his side to within four points of the top five, although they have played more games than many of the teams around them.

However, Ademeno claims the pressure is on the likes of York, Kettering and Mansfield and insists those teams will now view Crawley as a serious threat over the last few weeks of the season.

He said: “They may have games in hand on us but they have to win them and we are very much up for the challenge.

“A couple of weeks ago the gaffer was talking about us getting in the play-offs but no one believed him. Now they are starting to look over their shoulders and see us as a threat.

“All we can do is keep winning but if we can keep this form up I think we have an excellent chance of getting there at the end of the season.”

It looked for a long while on Saturday that Ebbsfleet would deny Town the points as they defended stoutly in a game of few clear cut chances.

But with 20 minutes to go, manager Steve Evans changed the game as he replaced struggling Ben Smith with Michael Malcolm.

The winger made an instant impact, running the visitors defence ragged, as Crawley started to pass the ball with more verve and purpose.

And, on 75 minutes, Town finally created a move of quality as Glenn Wilson found Danny Forrest in the box and his header back across goal found Malcolm unmarked six yards out and the winger made no mistake nodding the ball home.

The relief washed over the Broadfield and the goal seemed to relax Crawley who started to play with more confidence.

It was therefore no surprise when the lead was doubled 10 minutes later. Thomas Pinault, who’d had a quiet game by his standards, found Ademeno on the right of the area. With the ball dropping over his shoulder the forward hit a sliding volley past Cronin into the bottom left hand corner of the goal.

It looked as though that would allow the Reds to play out the final few minutes without incident, but Moses Ashikodi had something different in mind.

In the last minute of normal time United won a free-kick right on the edge of the home area. Keeper Simon Rayner spent an age adjusting his wall but somehow Ashikodi found a hole as he blasted a low shot into the bottom right corner.

Ebbsfleet then threw everything they had at Crawley in injury time, but the Reds survived without any major scares to record their 12th home win of the season.

After the game Evans admitted being delighted with the way Malcolm had changed the game after coming off the bench.

“It’s nice as a manager when you make a change and it makes a difference,” he said.

“I brought him on against AFC Wimbledon and he wasn’t at the races. It’s frustrating as he is probably the most talented player in the squad and the things he does in training everyday take your breath away.”

Town had certainly needed a spark from somewhere as, for all their huff and puff, they had lacked a cutting edge during a lively but unproductive first half.

Wilson volleyed just over while Ademeno drove wide of the post having been put through by Barry Cogan.

The forward was also involved in the big talking point of the first period as he appeared to be hauled down just outside the area by Crooks having already beaten two United defenders.

Crooks would surely have been sent off as he was last man but referee Simon Long waved away the Town appeal, to the fury of the Crawley bench. However, Malcolm’s cameo ensured it was footballers, and not officials, who dominated the headlines.

Crawley Town: Rayner, Rusk, Broadhurst, Langston, Rents, Forrest (Killeen 90), Wilson, Pinault, Smith (Malcolm 73), Cogan, Ademeno. Unused subs: Carter, Quinn, Jordan.

Booked: Rents, Pinault Ebbsfleet United: Cronin, Collins, Heeroo (Ginty 82), Pooley (Salmon 39), Viera, Ashikodi, Stavrinou, Shakes (Welsh 89), Crooks Bailey, Charles. Unused subs: Salmon, West, Wills.

Booked: Crooks