Four big things Crawley Town’s 4-0 Bromley win revealed ahead of Chesterfield

After two weeks since they last played, the Reds returned to action in the EFL Trophy. A 1-0 lead at half-time was added to in the second half with a flurry of fine finishes from Stephen Duke-McKenna.

There were an array of positives to take from this evening’s game and some interesting indicators, so here were four things we learnt from Crawley 4-0 Bromley.

Strong line-up

After two weeks of no action, Colin Kazim-Richards opted to field a very strong lineup against League One opposition Bromley who also named a fairly strong lineup. This evening’s game was a great opportunity for the players to gel together even more having had some ‘bounce’ games during the international break in addition to players also returning from injury.

Could we see a similar lineup against Chesterfield in the league on Saturday? With five half-time changes this points even more to the fact that the team that was fielded in the first half is most likely going to be the team Kazim-Richards picks on Saturday.

Players returning from injury made a real difference

The return of veteran goalkeeper Vito Mannone was a massive boost for Crawley and it was evident in how much more organised the team looked, in particular the defensive unit, with his presence and voice - he also pulled off some great saves.

Another notable absentee that made a return this evening was Stephen Duke-McKenna who came on at half-time and made an instant impact scoring within five minutes before helping add a second with a shot and third absolutely sublime strike. Apart from his goal contributions his general play was outstanding and his chance creation was something the Reds have definitely missed

Kai Jennings brought a really good energy which translated in the press. The Wimbledon loanee was effective in tight areas and picking up second balls. The youngster is another great player to have back at Kazim-Richards disposal.

Much quicker out ball

Tonight was interesting to see what Kazim-Richards and his side had worked on during the two week break. One aspect that had been much more refined was the build from the back.

The whole process was much smoother and faster and the positional placement of players aided that to help break through the first press.

The Reds general play was a lot more efficient throughout, with patterns of play developing and partnerships forming.

Chance creation

Crawley’s overall creativity was levels higher in terms of the different types of chances they created particularly from wide areas but also through the middle of the pitch.

Ultimately the Reds were able to put their chances to bed as well which is something they have struggled with in key moments so far this season.

Decision making within their play, knowing when to play an extra pass and when to have a shot was on point throughout.