Crawley Town face Grimsby Town on Saturday in a game they must win to stand a chance of securing a League Two play-off place. We spoke to defender Laurence Maguire about the game, his time at Crawley and the inspiration he takes from his brother Harry and his parent club Chesterfield
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00:00Laurence, thank you for joining us. We've got a big, big game coming up this Saturday
00:05as we host Grimsby at the Broadfield Stadium. Can I get your thoughts ahead of that one?
00:09Yeah, really looking forward to it. It should be a great game. We've got an end goal and
00:15we know what we need to do. Obviously, we're going out there to win the game and hopefully
00:20get us into the play-offs.
00:21Yeah, I'm sure some of the lads were keeping a keen eye on the scores from Tuesday night.
00:25It obviously sets up a very exciting game, as I said, on Saturday, with a win obviously
00:32giving us a great chance to qualify for those play-off places. So, I suppose the job with
00:36one game left this season is very clear, isn't it?
00:39Yeah, definitely. Obviously, there were a couple of big games on Tuesday night. For
00:45me personally, I wanted to just concentrate on us. I feel like going into the last game
00:49of the season, no matter what happened on Tuesday night, we need to win the game. So,
00:54on Saturday, yeah. Obviously, the results weren't okay for us, but in the long-term,
00:59we need to go out there on Saturday and get the three points and see where we end up.
01:03Yeah, reflecting on it, obviously you've joined us on a man with a season. It's been a really
01:07positive season. How much would it mean to you to break into those play-off places, especially
01:12with one game to go on the final day?
01:14Yeah, it would mean everything. Obviously, when I first came here, we knew our targets
01:18and that was behind the scenes. We wanted to get promoted. Obviously, we fell short
01:23in terms of the automatic places. We've had a great season. Obviously, we've overachieved
01:28compared to what people thought we'd be like at the start of the season, but nothing's
01:32done yet. Our aim is to get in the play-offs now and show everyone what we really can be.
01:38Yeah, we spoke to Scott a lot through the season about motivation and how building on
01:43wins can provide really good motivation for lads heading into games, putting a good run
01:47of form together. But I suppose there is no bigger motivation, is there, than reaching
01:52those play-off places?
01:53Yeah, definitely. Obviously, you can talk all you like, but there's only one thing and
01:57that is to go out there and win the game. It's a massive motivational for all of us
02:03players. We want to play as high as possible and we've got a great opportunity to do that
02:07by going through the play-offs and getting promoted. Yeah, that all starts on Saturday
02:12by getting the three points and hopefully come the end of the kick-off that we're in
02:15there.
02:16Yeah, and obviously we have a big crowd here. We didn't do too well in the two games with
02:21a bigger crowd, but the lads won't be focusing on that, will we? Because on Saturday the
02:25atmosphere is going to be great. Everybody is going to be combining into one goal, which
02:29is reaching the play-offs. The fans can have a big impact on how the lads play, can't they?
02:33Yeah, since I've been here, the fans have been absolutely brilliant. Everywhere we've
02:36been, home and away, they've been great. They've been loud, they've sang songs and it's been
02:42a massive boost for us throughout the season. So, yeah, it's going to be a good atmosphere
02:46on Saturday and hopefully they can bring the voices and sing us over the line.
02:51Yeah, and I suppose from a personal point, you'll be looking to extend your Crawley Town
02:55Loans Belt by a few extra games as well, so you won't want it to end on Saturday, will you?
03:00No, definitely. Obviously, it's weird because you say to end on Saturday and it just doesn't
03:05feel like it should end on Saturday. It's strange. We've done really well and we're
03:11all looking at the end goal of having another four games. But, yeah, it's football and things
03:18can happen and hopefully we're smiling come the end of the game.
03:27Hi, Lawrence. How proud have you been this season? Obviously, you guys have been relegation
03:33favourites at the start of the season. Now, obviously, you have a chance to get into League
03:38One. How proud are you?
03:40Yeah, really proud. Obviously, behind the scenes, we know we had a great squad here
03:46at the start of the season. The training, the way we played, the way we approached games,
03:53I knew personally that we were going to have a great season. But, yeah, it's something
03:58to be proud of. For me, it would only be a good season if we can end it on a high and
04:04that would be definitely to get into the play-offs and then we can see where it takes us regarding
04:09the play-offs games and see if we can get promoted at Wembley.
04:13Yeah, obviously, you're talking about the scores on Tuesday. You weren't really following
04:16it. Obviously, it's not in your hands anymore. There's some big games on Saturday. You've
04:20got Crewe, Barrow, Doncaster. One of them lose or drop points and you win, you get in
04:26the play-offs. How much are you going to be following them scores in them games?
04:29No, it's something that we will just be concentrating on ourselves. I'm sure it will take care of
04:35itself in terms of the crowd will be looking at the scores and maybe a few of the staff
04:41who were up in the stands. And, yeah, it's going to be one of them games that we just
04:46need to concentrate on ourselves. I feel like if we get the three points, I feel like more
04:49than likely we probably will make the play-offs. I feel like there's going to be a team who
04:55probably dropped a point or a couple of points and it will change into our hands. There'll
05:02be changes throughout the game. Obviously, if we go 1-0 up, there'll be games going on
05:06and this and that. But, no, the main thing for me is just to concentrate on ourselves
05:10and we have to win the game. So, if we win the game, I'm sure the other results will
05:14take care of themselves.
05:16Obviously, your brother Harry Maguire has had a very good week. Scoring in your pick-up
05:21semi-final and again last night. How much inspiration are you taking off him into this
05:26game?
05:27Yeah, definitely. It's something that throughout my career I've taken a lot of advice from
05:31Harry and we speak a lot about football. Not just about me, but I speak to him about himself
05:38as well, how he can get better and he speaks to me about how I can get better. He's had
05:44a really good season, personally. He's hit a bit of form recently and it was a proud
05:51moment for me and my family to be there on Sunday to see him score at Wembley. He's doing
05:55great and I'm sure we'll have a chat Friday night about what's going to happen on Saturday.
06:00Also, talking about inspiration, Chesterfield, your parent club, have been promoted, obviously
06:05champions and had a fantastic season. How much inspiration are you taking from them?
06:11Yeah, they've done really well. Massive credit to everybody at the club, the players, the
06:16staff. It's a big club and it deserves to be in the Football League. It's an inspiration
06:24to see the club do really well. But for me, I'm just concentrating on myself and Crawley
06:30Town at the minute because that's where I'm at and I'm really looking forward to Saturday
06:35and hopefully getting in the play-off places.
06:37Going into the game on Grimsby, obviously they have nothing to play for like you guys.
06:42How hard will it be to stay professional, stay humble going into it when you know they
06:46have nothing to play for?
06:48Yeah, it's tough because you never know really what type of game it's going to be like, whether
06:54they make a few changes, whether they come full strength. It's a tough one but you've
06:59just got to play your own game. We've prepared all week for how we want to play. We've had
07:03a good session out there today. The managers put a lot of principles and a lot of tactics
07:11into us but we are fully concentrating on ourselves and hopefully we can get the three
07:17points.
07:18Great, thank you.