CRAWLEY’S worn-out squad summoned up one last effort to ensure they signed off at the Broadfield Stadium with a victory.

It is unlikely that any individual’s performances in their third game in five days persuaded manager Steve Evans to change his mind about the 15 players whose futures will be discussed this week.

Evans’ assistant Paul Raynor hinted that there will not be wholesale changes and why should there be? Despite operating with the smallest playing squad in the division Reds could finish sixth if they win at Kettering tomorrow.

Saturday’s crowd was the third-lowest of the season but nearly all of them stayed on at the end when the players did a lap of honour in front of the home end while Evans and his assistant Paul Raynor got a standing ovation from some when their contribution was asked to be recognised.

There are still some Crawley fans that will not set foot inside the Broadfield again while Evans is manager but they are a diminishing band.

He may not have fulfilled the promise of Football League when he arrived nearly three years ago but to finish above a clutch of clubs with much vaster resources, as Reds will do for the second successive season, is still a worthy achievement.

Among those players waiting to discover his fate is midfielder Ben Smith.

If the player of the season awards were decided on form since Christmas he would win hands down and he sealed victory over an unambitious Tamworth with one of the goals of the season when he curled a right-foot shot beyond Danny Alcock from the left-hand corner of the penalty area in the 64th minute.

He said: “The gaffer is giving nothing away about next season. We are meeting him on Thursday and I am pretty relaxed about it. If we can agree something that would be great and if not I will move on, that is the life of a footballer.

“I have enjoyed the season, especially the second half. It was hard for me early on because I came in having not done any pre-season training and I don’t think people realise how tough that is.

“Then I was injured for six weeks so it took me until Christmas to get match sharpness but I have been relatively happy with my form since then.

“I have always done better in my second season at the clubs I’ve been at because I feel settled and know what to expect from the gaffer. I understand him now and know how I take him.”

As ever, Evans was the Icelandic volcano in human form on the touchline. There was never any chance of him allowing his players to relax once their play-off challenge faded as those who were on the end of his paint-blistering tirade in the dressing room at Forest Green on Tuesday will testify.

Smith said: “Everyone’s been on the end of the gaffer’s specials. That is the way he expresses himself. You have to accept it and it doesn’t bother me.

“My youth team manager at Arsenal was Pat Rice used to tear my head off although not quite as vociferous as the gaffer.

“I don’t need someone to tell me when I have played badly but I think he feels better if he tells me!

“But at least you know where you stand. Some managers will tell you that you’ve played okay and then drop you the next week. I like working with him.”

Smith and the rest of the squad didn’t get home until 5am on Friday morning after the second of two ridiculously long midweek trips in the space of 48 hours and their first half performance was not surprisingly sluggish.

But when Charlie Ademeno, starting for the first time in five games, was clipped in the box by Michael Wylde nine minutes after the break Danny Forrest confidently converted his sixth goal of the season and Smith’s cracker sealed a 14th home win of the season, a record bettered only by the top three.

Smith said: “We have had a really good home record, probably one of the best four in the league. The problem has been away from home, we all know that.

“How can we improve it? If we knew the answer we would have done it a long time ago. Maybe we have to be a bit more cautious and keep it tighter for longer before having a go at teams. Good teams get results away from home and we need to do that.”

Crawley: Rayner, Rusk, Broadhurst, Langston, Rents, Smith (sub: Malcolm 82), Hutchinson, Pinault, Cogan (Napper 64), Ademeno, Forrest (Wilson 87). Unused subs: Rayner, Killeen.

Tamworth: Alcock, Tait, Blackwood, Smith, Wylde, Pritchard, Sheridan (sub: McKenzie 61), Shaw (Wright 61), Lyttle, Smith (Seb-Gaskin 61), Christie. Unused subs: Murdock, Mitchell.

Booked: Shaw (foul), Wylde (dissent)