Crawley Town's Liam Kelly looks ahead to vital Grimsby Town game
Crawley Town host Grimsby Town in a game they must win to stand a chance of securing a League Two play-off place. We caught up with midfielder Liam Kelly to look at the game and dealing with pressure
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00:00 Liam, thank you for joining us. Obviously it's one game to go. It's a nice big one here at the
00:04 Broadfield Stadium. Can I get your thoughts as we prepare to face Grimsby?
00:07 Yeah, an exciting one for us. Sort of everyone involved really. Yeah, like you said, one game to
00:16 go. We know what we have to do. Win the game and yeah, it's pretty simple really.
00:21 Yeah, we just spoke to Lawrence. A few of the lads must have sort of been keeping a close eye on
00:26 the scores for Tuesday night and that sort of sets us up quite nicely for the game on Saturday.
00:31 And as you say, a win with other results would get us into those sort of playoff places. How
00:35 much do you think the squad deserves it? Because it's been a great season, you know, from everybody's
00:40 relegation favourites to fighting for playoffs in the final day. It's been a pretty incredible year,
00:43 hasn't it?
00:44 Yeah, I think if you had told all of us 45 games ago that we were one win away really from making
00:51 the playoffs, I think we would have taken it. Yeah, and obviously everyone that's in and around
00:57 it thinks they deserve it as well. But yeah, the work we put in from the staff to the players to
01:03 everyone really. I think it'll just be a nice way to end the season if we can make the playoffs.
01:08 So yeah, it's exciting.
01:10 Yeah, and it's great motivation heading into the final game, isn't it? Because I think Crawley
01:14 fans will agree with me here that over the sort of past maybe decade or so, we haven't had this
01:19 excitement. Obviously last year we did for different reasons, which we've moved on a long
01:24 way since then. But the excitement of sort of building up to these final games with a lot to
01:28 play for hasn't been there. So for them, it's going to be just as exciting. It's great motivation,
01:32 isn't it?
01:33 Yeah, 100 per cent, especially like you said, obviously with what went on last year, obviously
01:37 I was the other end of it where I got relegated. The lads just stayed out of it. So it's a different
01:43 sort of type of pressure that we're under. But I think the pressure comes from within the group,
01:48 because we know how good we are. So from the outside, we're probably not expected to be there.
01:54 But yeah, it's a pressure within, but it's a nice pressure to have as a squad. And really,
02:02 as a squad, we know what we have to do. It's quite simple. We've got to win. No matter what
02:06 happens, we have to win to give ourselves a chance. So yeah, it's simple, but it's going to be an
02:11 enjoyable one.
02:12 We know the gaffer obviously loves his tactics and everything, but I suppose the team talk
02:16 just becomes a little bit easier, doesn't it, on Friday and especially Saturday before the game,
02:21 because it is just a case of sort of, you know, let's keep it calm. Let's sort of do our thing.
02:25 And, you know, we just need to win, don't we? So I suppose in that way, it takes that sort of
02:30 pressure of knowing that you won't be able to check things during the game. And whereas sometimes
02:34 on the final day, you're obviously relying on a lot of other things. Where we are, we know that
02:37 we need to win. So I suppose the lads will just be sort of fully focused on that and giving their
02:41 all for the full 90 minutes.
02:43 Yeah, 100%. I think there'll be a game plan, obviously, and with the way we play, it's quite
02:49 structured. But the gaffer will set us up the same way to try and win a game. But again, I think
02:55 there'll be a little bit more freedom, hopefully, in the final third that we can use, because we
02:59 know we've got to win. But again, with that, we have to be defensively solid as well, because we
03:04 can't be chucking bodies forward and going for it, and then we concede, and then it's trying to
03:10 climb a mountain. So we've got to be structured within that. But yeah, like you said, it's simple.
03:15 You've got to try and win the game as attackers, and it's going to be quite enjoyable.
03:20 Yeah, the excitement's building. We've sold plenty of tickets. We're sort of approaching a
03:23 sell-out now here at the Portmouth Stadium. So I suppose the message to the fans would be,
03:27 get behind the players that you've been getting behind all season and be loud, because the fans
03:34 can have a big impact, especially in games like this, can't they?
03:36 Yeah, 100 per cent. I think the fans have been on all season, really. A few games recently,
03:41 Colchester, that comes to mind. Even on Saturday, I thought they were really, really good and
03:47 helped us. When we scored, you could hear them. All game, really, you heard them. So yeah,
03:54 it'll be another one where we need them, and yeah, it can make a massive difference.
04:02 You've already talked about the Tuesday results. Obviously, Barrow, Doncaster and Colchester,
04:10 and obviously needing one of them to lose or drop points so you get in.
04:15 Will you be following them scores?
04:17 No, because I think as a squad, it's quite simple what we've got to do. I think we know that we have
04:21 to win now. So we can't really help other results. We've got to focus on ourselves,
04:28 and that's the only thing that we can affect, is our game and our results. So that's all we've got
04:33 to do.
04:33 Obviously, it's been a bit of a patchy second half of the season. You've missed quite a few
04:37 games through injury. Obviously, as a player as good as you are, how frustrating is that,
04:42 not just for you, but for the club as well, that you missed these games?
04:45 Yeah, it was frustrating for me. But again, I think the fans were unbelievable through that
04:51 time. I think we went on a run of, I don't know, I can't remember, but we probably won four or five.
04:58 So it was a lot easier watching, and then coming back into it was nice as well.
05:02 But yeah, as a player, you just want to play as many games as you can really,
05:06 and yeah, it's nice to be back out there.
05:08 In the last game, obviously a 2-2 draw against Sutton, maybe it looked like the pressure was
05:13 getting to you guys. As you say, feeling the pressure, you're obviously saying you enjoy it.
05:18 Will it get to you on this weekend, or were you just right over?
05:21 No, probably not now because I think the last few games, it's been in our hands in a way,
05:29 because we've been seventh spot and it's been in our hands. But now, being eighth and not being in
05:36 our hands with other results needed, it's quite simple. We've just got to go out there and win,
05:42 and hopefully that's what we can do.
05:45 Obviously, Grimsby, you've survived relegation, you have nothing to play for the rest of the season.
05:49 How hard will it be to not be complacent, to stay professional and have points for the game?
05:55 I don't think we can look into too much of them, because as footballers, no matter where you are,
06:02 there's always a point to prove when you're out on the pitch. Even though they're safe,
06:05 their boys will be, I don't know whether they're playing for contracts, playing for next season,
06:10 whatever happens, they will be going out there with a point to prove. It will be another tough
06:15 game. There's no easy game in League Two. Grimsby will be coming to try and make an upset in a way.
06:21 - Thank you.
06:22 I love you. Thank you.