Chapter 12: Between the Lines
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The morning after the win at Port Vale, Broadfield Stadium was quiet but full of life.
The sky was gray, and the cold air hung over the training ground. Crawley's 1-0 win had moved them up to 14th in League Two.
Three wins in a row.
The team was starting to believe.
Niels led a light recovery session. There was no tactical work today. The players stretched, used the foam rollers and went for a few easy runs.
Dev Patel and Tom Whitehall stood near the side of the pitch, joking about Simons' goal from the day before.
Luka moved through the session quietly. He looked more relaxed than usual.
Reece was different too.
He went through his warm-up with his headphones hanging around his neck, a small smile on his face.
Milan walked over with his clipboard.
"GPS data is in," he said. His voice was a little rough. "Simons covered the most ground again. Whitehall didn't play many minutes. Reece had the fastest burst in the final third."
Niels looked toward Reece.
The winger jogged past, breathing steadily.
He wasn't trying to show off.
He simply looked more comfortable than he had a few weeks ago.
"He's improving," Niels said.
Milan followed his gaze.
"They all are."
Niels nodded.
Three wins had changed more than their position in the table.
The players were starting to believe they belonged here.
Training became more intense on Monday.
The focus was on quick passing and making decisions under pressure. The players worked through one-touch rondos, moving the ball around in tight spaces.
"Touch, pass, move!" Milan shouted. "Think quicker!"
Luka looked comfortable, moving the ball quickly and rarely getting caught.
Dev kept finding small gaps and slipping passes through them.
Reece struggled at first. He misplaced a few passes and lost the ball more than once.
But he didn't let it bother him.
He chased after the ball, asked for it again and kept trying.
Niels noticed.
Tuesday's session was all about preparing for Rochdale.
Milan gathered the players in the film room and put their recent matches on the screen.
"They press hard," he said, stopping the footage. "Their midfield stays tight, their wingers are quick, and they've got a big striker who'll look for the long ball."
He moved to the next clip.
"When they can't play through us, they'll go long. We need to win the second ball and stop them from building another attack."
On the training pitch, Crawley worked on dealing with the pressure.
Dev dropped deeper to give the midfield an extra passing option.
Luka kept moving into space, giving his teammates somewhere to play when the pressure got too heavy.
Reece stayed wide, forcing Rochdale's defence to spread out.
Simons worked on quick attacks after winning the ball. His movement was sharper now, and he seemed more confident in front of goal.
The session ended with a short practice match.
Reece picked up the ball near the edge of the box, took on his defender and finished at the near post.
He didn't celebrate.
He simply jogged back and looked toward Niels.
A small nod passed between them.
Niels smiled.
Reece was no longer playing like someone afraid of making a mistake.
He was starting to believe he belonged in the team.
Rain tapped against the roof of the media room as Niels sat in front of the press.
A journalist leaned forward with his notebook ready.
"Three wins in a row and Crawley are climbing the table. Are you starting to think about finishing higher than mid-table?"
Niels kept his answer simple.
"We're improving," he said. "But we're taking it one game at a time. We've still got a lot to learn."
Another reporter asked about Wycombe and the FA Cup.
Niels gave a small smile.
"Wycombe can wait. Rochdale is the only thing we're thinking about right now."
Friday, November 13
The final training session before Rochdale was focused and quiet.
The players worked on set pieces in the morning and quick transitions later in the day. The wet pitch made every drill a little harder.
Most of the squad had already left when Reece stayed behind.
Niels sent another cross into the box.
"Again."
Reece took a touch and struck the ball low.
It hit the back of the net.
"Better," Niels said. "Don't hesitate. When you get the chance, hit it."
Reece collected the ball and passed it back.
"Again?"
Niels nodded.
"Again."
Reece smiled and got ready for the next one.
Saturday, November 14
Matchday 16: Crawley Town vs. Rochdale
Broadfield Stadium was buzzing despite the cold November afternoon. The crowd wasn't huge, but the mood was good. Crawley had won their last three games, and another win would keep their climb going.
Kickoff
The whistle went and Rochdale immediately pressed.
Their forwards chased Luka whenever he received the ball, while their midfielders crowded around Dev and tried to cut off his passing options.
Crawley didn't panic.
They kept the ball moving and waited for gaps.
In the 8th minute, Luka managed to escape the pressure and played the ball out to Reece on the right.
Reece pushed past his marker and sent a dangerous cross into the box.
Simons got to it, but his header went just wide.
The crowd groaned.
"Good start from Crawley," the commentator said. "They're finding ways through the pressure."
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute.
Jamal intercepted a loose pass near halfway and immediately drove forward.
He found Dev, who played a clever reverse pass into Simons' path.
Simons took one touch and fired a low shot across the goalkeeper.
The ball hit the back of the net.
1-0 Crawley
"GOAL! Crawley take the lead!"
Simons punched the air as Dev ran over and nearly knocked him to the ground.
The home fans erupted.
Milan watched from the dugout with a small smile.
"They're starting to click," he said.
Niels nodded.
"Now they need to stay focused."
Rochdale responded quickly.
Their striker, Vaughan, began causing problems with his height and strength. He won several balls in the air and created two good chances, forcing Fletcher into difficult saves.
Crawley were holding on.
Just before half-time, a corner dropped dangerously in front of goal.
Luka was there to clear it off the line.
The referee blew for half-time moments later.
Half-Time: Crawley Town 1-0 Rochdale
Second Half
Rochdale came out with more urgency after the break.
Crawley struggled to deal with the pressure, and in the 62nd minute, Rochdale found their equalizer.
A cross came in from the left and took a deflection off a Crawley defender. The ball fell straight to Vaughan, who reacted quickly and fired it in at the near post.
"1-1! Rochdale are level!"
The home crowd went quiet.
Niels didn't wait.
He brought on fresh legs in midfield and moved Dev wider to give Crawley more pace on the outside.
The change helped.
Crawley started finding space again.
In the 70th minute, Jamal switched the ball across the pitch to Reece.
Reece controlled it and immediately pushed forward, beating his marker for pace.
He fired a low shot toward the corner, but the goalkeeper got down quickly and turned it away.
The crowd applauded the effort.
The match became more physical as both sides pushed for a winner.
Luka picked up a yellow card after catching a Rochdale midfielder late. He said nothing and quickly got back into position.
In the 78th minute, Whitehall came on for Simons.
Niels noticed the slight limp as Whitehall stepped onto the pitch, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Crawley kept pushing.
Then, deep into stoppage time, they almost found the winner.
Dev stood over a free-kick and sent the ball into the box.
Whitehall rose above the defenders and connected with it.
The header crashed against the crossbar.
The entire stadium reacted at once.
Hands went to heads as the ball bounced away.
Seconds later, the referee blew the final whistle.
Full-Time: Crawley Town 1-1 Rochdale
It wasn't the result Crawley wanted, but they had fought until the end.
They remained 14th in the table.
The winning run was over, but the progress was still there.
Back at Broadfield, the next day was kept light.
The players went through easy runs, stretching and recovery work before heading into the film room.
Milan stood beside the projector, going over the Rochdale game.
"You handled their press well," he said. "We stayed in the game and kept creating chances. But our decisions in the final third need to be better. That's something we can work on."
The players listened quietly before heading out.
Niels stayed behind for a moment.
He looked over the squad, thinking about what he'd seen over the past few games.
Reece was becoming more confident.
Simons was starting to find some consistency.
Luka had once again been important, but Niels knew they couldn't keep relying on him for everything.
And Whitehall still didn't look completely fit.
Niels made a mental note to keep an eye on him.
He walked over to the window and looked out at the pitch.
The lines were bright beneath the floodlights.
Wycombe was next.
The FA Cup would be a different challenge. A League One side, playing away from home, with everything against them.
But Crawley had changed over the past few weeks.
They were no longer simply trying to avoid losing.
They were beginning to expect more from themselves.
Niels looked back toward the empty dressing room.
The team was growing.
And, little by little, so was he.