📝 Match preview: Crawley Town vs City

All you need to know ahead of Saturday's match

22 November 2019

Exeter City travel to face Crawley Town this Saturday as the Grecians return to EFL Sky Bet League Two action at the People's Pension Stadium.

City will be looking to build on last weekend's point against sixth-placed Cheltenham Town and will have eyes on moving further up the table.

Ahead of the match Manager Matt Taylor said he is looking forward to what should be a fine match-up between Exeter City and Crawley Town this Saturday.

"Crawley is the next game and we have to play like ourselves and put in a performance which says that we are there to win the game, there to compete, and there to withstand any challenges. It is one I am looking forward to."

Watch Matt's interview in full 👇

THE CONTEXT

The Grecians come into the match fifth in EFL Sky Bet League Two having picked up 30 points from their first eighteen matches of the season. City sit three points behind current league-leaders Swindon Town.

Crawley Stats.jpg

As for Crawley, they sit in sixteenth place having picked up 21 points from their first eighteen matches. Last time out they were made to settle for a point against Morecambe at home in a 1-1 draw with Morecambe.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Exeter City 1 Crawley Town 3 (19/4/19) EFL Sky Bet League Two

Last time out, City fell to a 3-1 defeat to Crawley Town at St James Park. Two goals from Reece Grego-Cox and a first half finish from Filipe Morais did the damage for the away side with Ryan Bowman netting City’s only goal as they looked for a way back into the match.

Crawley Town 1 Exeter City 1 (23/10/18) EFL Sky Bet League 2

The last match at the People's Pension Stadium saw City stretch their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions as they put in a high-energy, battling display at Crawley Town to take a point.

The hosts, who had won six out of their eight Sky Bet League Two homes games this season, took the lead just after the hour mark when Filipe Morais curled home a shot from just inside the box but Matt Taylor’s men battled back superbly to level through Lee Holmes and came closest to winning the match late on when Lee Martin had an effort cleared off the line.

MATCH DAY COVERAGE

As usual, we’ll have the match covered across our social media channels and we’ll have a post-match interview with manager Matt Taylor as he reflects on the result. You can also tune into BBC Radio Devon to listen to commentary as well.

Exeter City on social media

THE STADIUM

THE PEOPLE’S PENSION STADIUM (RH11 9RX)

Built in 1997, the stadium owned by Crawley Borough Council, has a capacity of 6,134. It is multi-purpose stadium, but mostly used for football matches. It was renamed the People’s Pension Stadium, from the Checkatrade.com Stadium, in 2018 for sponsorship reasons.

TICKET NEWS

Tickets can be purchased in advance by clicking here. Tickets can also be purchased from the club shop until midday on Friday, November 22, or on the day at the ground.

Seated

Adults: £20
65+: £15
Under-21: £13
Under-18: £10
Under-16: £4
Under-11: £FREE (When purchased with paying adult)

Standing

Adults: £16
65+: £12
Under-21: £11
Under-18: £10
Under-16: £4
Under-11: £FREE (When purchased with paying adult)

Further details

Advance Discounts? NO
Ambulant: Pay age related price and carer free (accessible requirements may need to contact CTFC directly on 01293 410000)
Wheelchair: Pay age related price and carer free. To purchase please contact CTFC directly on 01293 410000
Matchday Purchase available? YES From the ticket office or ticket cabin.

IBIS Hotel Offer

The Ibis Hotel near Crawley’s ground have given City fans a booking deal if they are looking to stay when we visit on November 23. The hotel is just over 3 miles away

The room rate is £50 to include B&B on the Friday or Saturday night around the game. If two people share the room that makes it just £25 each. Sole occupancy sees the rate remain at £50.

The telephone number at the hotel to ring is 01293 590300 and option 3 and fans should quote the code ECFC. Any email enquiries should head to ian.marsh@starboardhotels.com.

Grecian Travel:

Grecian Travel is on sale for City's trip to face Crawley Town on Saturday, November 23.

The coach will depart from Unit 1 nightclub at 8:15am for a fare of £30.

Other pick-up points include: Honiton Road park and ride (by Miller and Carter Steakhouse), junction 28 (Cullompton services). Junction 27 (Tiverton), junction 25 (Taunton.) All other pick-ups by prior arrangement.

How to buy

The easiest way to buy is online, or on your mobile using the clubs ticketing system.

For more information or to book please contact Chris Woolcott on 01392 250250 or John Bishop on 07904036334 or by email at: john.bishop760@btinternet.com (after 6pm).

TRAVEL GUIDE

BY ROAD

Having travelled on the M5, M4 and M25 to get to the M23, you exit the M23 at the Pease Pottage, junction 11. Take the third exit (see brown sign for Stadium) and the ground is on your left at the bottom of Brighton Road, approximately two minutes from the M23 junction.

PARKING

There is no parking available at the stadium. There are free parking options close to the stadium. As you come towards the stadium off the A23 look out for Broadfield Park on your left. There is free parking here in the William Reed Car Park. Look out for this sign just after the pedestrian crossing.

BY RAIL

The 8.25am from Exeter St Davids, arriving at Crawley train station at 1.10pm, and the 9.25am train, arriving at 1.58pm are the best options on Saturday, November 23, to get to Crawley. Both require two changes, Reading and Redhill for the 8.25am train, and Salisbury and Fareham, for the 9.25am train.

Once at Crawley you can take a taxi from just outside the train station or cross the road to the bus station where the Fastway 10 will take you to the stadium.

The walk from the train station to the stadium takes about 25 minutes. Turn left out of the out of the stadium onto staion way and then left onto Brighton Road. Follow this although way until you get to Southgate Avenue where you turn left again towards the roundabout where the stadium is situated.

AWAY FANS' GUIDE

Click here to read a fans’ guide to visiting the The People’s Pension Stadium.

TOTAL DISTANCE

The total distance between the stadiums, is 188-miles and it would take around three-hours-and-three-quarters to drive.

Match Reports

📝 Match report: Crawley 0 Exeter City 1

Dean Moxey goal gives City three points at Crawley Town

23 November 2019

A second-half strike from Dean Moxey was all that separated the two sides at The People’s Pension Stadium as Exeter City overcame Crawley Town 1-0 on Saturday.

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor made three changes to the side that overcame Cambridge United in the FA Cup on Tuesday night, with Nigel Atangana, Jack Sparkes and Ryan Bowman starting in place of Alex Fisher, Craig Woodman and Matt Jay.

City started brightly, and Lee Martin did well to create a yard of space after just two minutes in order to find a cross that was headed away by Crawley centre-back Tom Dallison just as Ryan Bowman looked to meet it inside the six-yard box. Crawley responded in kind, with Bez Lubala finding Ollie Palmer with his cross from the Crawley left, but the latter’s header flew wide of Jonny Maxted’s goal.

Nicky Law then fired a free-kick won by Archie Collins just over Glenn Morris’ goal from the edge of the box with 10 minutes on the clock as the Grecians pushed for an opener. City continued to threaten from set-pieces as Randell Williams’ free-kick on City’s right-hand side flew into a dangerous area and took a deflection right in front of the Crawley goalkeeper, but rolled wide.

City definitely had the best of the opening quarter of an hour and when Nigel Atangana knocked the ball back to Archie Collins following a corner, the academy graduate came within inches of putting City ahead with a rasping drive, but the midfielder’s effort was narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

Lee Martin was the next City man to go close as Jack Sparkes did well to feed a ball through to him despite being on the floor, and Martin’s powerfully struck effort cannoned off the crossbar and behind. The home side threatened on occasion – notably through Lubala on the Crawley left, whose cross-turned-shot on 29 minutes bounced just wide of Maxted’s left-hand post.

City had the best chance of the game to go ahead when Randell Williams found a superb pass into Nicky Law to play the City man in against Morris, but Law dallied on the ball, allowing Morris to close down the angle and to produce an important save. City then created another chance with a sweeping move cutting across the pitch to eventually find Jack Sparkes in space down the left wing, but his effort flew over the bar. It was a first half that City dominated in terms of chances, but couldn’t break the deadlock.

City started the second period brightly, with Law seeing his shot from the edge of the box saved comfortably by Morris, but nearly went behind five minute into the second period as Palmer set up Nathan Ferguson on the edge of the box, and his driven shot took a deflection that took it to safety away from Maxted’s goal. Lubala then fired in a shot from distance that Maxted was equal to after 53 minutes, pushing it behind for a corner. A reinvigorated Crawley side asserted themselves on the game much more effectively in the second-half and City were nearly punished for missing a plethora of first-half chances as Dallison’s header from a corner looked destined for the net, before a spectacular last-ditch clearance from Pierce Sweeney.

Jack Sparkes then nearly produced a contender for goal of the season, picking up the ball in his own half and then proceeded to single-handedly dismantle the Crawley backline, before seeing his shot deflected over the bar. It was a similar tale for much of the game for City, creating shooting opportunities but ultimately struggling to find a way through Norris.

Sparkes was then required at the other end to produce a fine block on another Palmer effort from inside the City box as the game entered its final 20 minutes. The game ebbed and flowed, and Law had another chance to give City the lead after Ben Seymour improvised a through ball towards Randell Williams, who in turn crossed for Bowman – and the striker’s cushioned header fell kindly for Law, but the City man couldn’t get a shot away before being closed down and the home side cleared.

City would take the lead in controversial circumstances as a Ben Seymour challenge in the Grecians’ penalty area – where he got a slight touch on the ball before taking down Dallison – created a counterattack led by Nicky Law that was turned behind for a corner for City. Williams’ delivery would travel all the way through the penalty area to be turned in by Dean Moxey who slid in at the back post to convert, sending the away end into raptures after 77 minutes.

City nearly doubled their lead immediately with Williams again influential, as he provided an inch-perfect cross that Ben Seymour directed across goal but narrowly beyond Morris’ right-hand post. Seymour again was involved after 88 minutes as he latched onto Bowman’s flick-on, but although managed to get the ball past Morris was unable to get the ball back under control to double the Grecians’ lead.

Maxted was called into action late in the game as Panutche Camara worked a shooting opportunity on the edge of the box, but the ball was straight at the Exeter goalkeeper and he held on comfortably.

It was a game where Exeter created a vast majority of the chances and the Grecians will feel they were good value for the three points.

Attendance: 2,170 (447 away)

CRAWLEY TOWN: Morris, Young ©, Dallison, Palmer, Nadesan, Ferguson (Nathaniel-George 84), Francomb, Sesay, Tunnicliffe, Camara, Lubala.

Subs not used: Luyambula, Boadu, Sendles-White, Galach, Allarakhia, Bloomfield.

Booked: Francomb, Dallison

EXETER CITY: Maxted, Sweeney, Atangana (Taylor 73), A Martin, L Martin (Seymour 58), Law, Williams, Bowman, Moxey ©, Sparkes (Parkes 90+2), Collins.

Subs not used: Visser, Woodman, Parkes, Jay, Richardson.

Booked: Law

Ticket News

🎟 AWAY TICKETS: Crawley Town (November 23)

Ticket news for City's trip to the People’s Pension Stadium

19 November 2019

Tickets are now on sale for City's trip to the People's Pension Stadium to face Crawley Town on Saturday, November 23 in a 3pm kick-off.

We've now sold our initial allocation of standing tickets so these can only be purchased on the day, at no price increase.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by clicking here. Tickets can also be purchased from the club shop until midday on Friday, November 22.

Ticket prices are as follows: