The curtains have fallen on Shrewsbury Town’s miserable campaign
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Their decade-long stay in League One has officially concluded
beaten by fellow relegated side Crawley Town
Frustrations grew by the minute as decisions went against the home side
and Josh Feeney slowly trudged off in disbelief after being sent off for a soft foul
The decision changed the whole dynamic of the game
Shrewsbury were dismantled again as they have been so often this season
The loss was Town’s 29th of the season and 15th at home
It has been anything but pleasant viewing for the Shrewsbury faithful who haven’t seen a win on home turf since the first day of February
They finished with 33 points - the lowest since three points for a win was introduced
After Michael Appleton secured his first victory in charge of Shrewsbury at Barnsley
it was hoped that Town could finish the season in style
the wait for his first win at the Croud Meadow continues into the next campaign
A football season is often compared to a rollercoaster
This painful and unpleasant ride has finally finished for Town – heads are left spinning and wondering what comes next
and banana costumes were donned by some travelling Crawley supporters
but the Salop faithful were not in a similar mood
The only cause for celebration was the news that Appleton had signed a two-year deal with the club
and the announcement of the news prior to kick-off was met with cheers and applause
Appleton has spoken of trying to instil an identity and Shrewsbury played some attractive football in the first half showing glimmers of hope for the future
Yet Town failed to find the net before the break against the league’s worst defence
The clash had a real pre-season feel with both preparing for their League Two tenure
Toto Nsiala was unable to divert his header goal-bound on the 15-minute-mark
And Town should have found themselves in front just five minutes later
John Marquis was alert to smartly latch onto a loose ball
The Salop top-scorer raced forward with George Lloyd in assistance
The pass to Lloyd was delayed until they reached the box and seemed to lack pace
nevertheless Shrewsbury fans held their breath expecting Lloyd to spank a shot into the back of the net
by which time several Crawley defenders had hurtled back
and under challenge Lloyd crashed to the surface
The hosts came under pressure before the break
His first effort presented little worry but his second was seen away for a corner
the visitors found an opening as nobody tracked the run of Rushian Hepburn-Murphy who beat and rounded goalkeeper Jamal Blackman
in a huge sigh of relief the ball raced away and the forward was unable to steer an effort towards goal
and what unfolded inside the opening five minutes of the second period was devastating and fitting for Shrewsbury’s dire campaign
Crawley were awarded a soft penalty as Josh Feeney challenged Holohan in front of goal
The hosts were furious enough that the spot kick was given
referee Lee Swabey reached to his pocket and produced a red card
Hepburn-Murphy slammed home the spot-kick and Appleton was furious
Things went from bad to worse when Max Anderson turned and struck with a sumptuous volley
It was now damage limitation for Shrewsbury
Marquis would see a powerful effort palmed away while Blackman was kept busy by several free-kicks
Mal Benning did eventually provide the home crowd with something to cheer
Substitute Vadaine Oliver attempted an overhead kick that became the perfect pass for Benning
Tempers flared late-on as frustrations boiled over
and a late rally wasn’t enough for the sides to share the spoils
The best end of season present for the Shrewsbury supporters was the full-time whistle that finally brought the catastrophic and tormenting season to an end
“Floreat Salopia” Shrewsbury’s club’s crest says
and hopefully Town will be back flourishing again
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The TimesZak Crawley had another first-innings failure
lasting just nine balls before being pinned lbw by Middlesex’s Dane Paterson at Lord’s
bowlers dominated with 67 wickets falling across the seven matches being played in this round
England have kept the faith in the Kent opener
naming him in the squad to play the first Test of the summer later this month
Crawley has only scored one first-class hundred since the start of 2024 and has first-innings scores of one
Kent were bowled out for 129 with Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones taking five for 33
National selector Luke Wright threw his weight behind Crawley
England’s persistence with Zak Crawley constitutes "a blind spot unlike any other" Mark Butcher has seen, the former England batter said on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast
who wondered whether a lean run against Zimbabwe and India could bring an end to Crawley’s time as an England opener
"You would think and hope that if you get through three or four Test matches in the summer that the clamour and realisation that he [Crawley] isn’t the answer to England’s opening batting position after all will come down as clear as day on everyone," he said
So it’s incumbent on him to make runs and incumbent on the rest to try not to be surprised if he gets picked
A lot of the time he’s been selected has defied logic
which is why I’m smiling away at the thought that maybe we will have a definitive answer of what the future of Zak Crawley holds."
🗣️ "There's been a blind spot with Crawley unlike any other that I've ever seen, and the spinner one is just still rather baffling."@markbutcher72 reacts to England's Test squad to face Zimbabwe.🤝 @remitly pic.twitter.com/SviyHDbWwV
Should India and Australia get the better of Crawley and England
Butcher felt that change would be inevitable
"The only thing I will say is this… once the India and Australia Test series are over
should they not go particularly well either for individuals or the team then it might well be a change of everything
And people get picked upon performances they’ve put in over a period of time and selection goes back to a mode that is more recognisable to a mode in the past
No leadership or regime at the top lasts forever
And very few of them survive away Ashes series
we might be having a completely new discussion
But we may have to wait until February when that happens."
Crawley isn’t the only player England have backed, with Shoaib Bashir retained despite a season average north of 150 in the County Championship
After impressing in his first two series against India and West Indies
"I think over a pretty long sample size now
it’s been proven that he has an enormous amount of work to do," said Butcher
"So the bolter who provided two five-fors in Test match cricket last year has now really hit the skids
Again it’s a conversation we have so often on the show about the lack of options when it comes to picking spin bowlers
The two guys who have either more Test experience
or is arguably the better option and bowler than the lot of them in Liam Dawson are not once again given a mention or given a shout
It needs to be sorted out prior to India and the Ashes really
"Either they have a hotline to something Bashir is working on that is making it difficult for him to bowl with any sort of consistency at Glamorgan
or there is an enormous amount of blind faith being shown in a young man
but I probably feel it’s more likely to be the latter
"I just think there’s been a blind spot with Crawley unlike any other I’ve ever seen
And the spinner one is just still rather baffling."
The curtain fell on Shrewsbury's Town's disappointing campaign with a 2-1 loss to Crawley Town at the Croud Meadow
The Town goalkeeper was defiant when called into action and saved several Crawley efforts and free-kicks during the second-half
Slammed home Shrewsbury’s late consolation goal to provide the Town faithful with something to cheer about and give Shrewsbury hope of potentially salvaging a draw
coaching staff and supporters were furious at the decision that saw him sent off
Feeney had a soft penalty given against him just minutes into the second-half
The Town defender came close with a first-half header and defended well at the back for Town in the first period
He was one of four Shrewsbury players who received a booking
without defensive partner Feeney in the second-half
the defence came under increased pressure and was exploited
The wing-back often got forward as he likes to and was alert to make interceptions
He came under pressure from a Kelly who looked to be tricky but stood strong
Biggins looked lively in the centre of the park and the majority of play came through him in the first period
The midfielder was at the heart of several lovely passages of play and pressed to win the ball back
Made some nice runs forward and looked to create from the middle
Tracked back to do his defensive duties and showed great composure to bring the wall away from danger
Town’s top-scorer was unable to have a major say on the game
He made a brilliant interception before squaring to Lloyd for a big chance and was denied with a powerful effort
He ran the show in the early stages and was eager to impress on what was his first home start
Got on the ball but was unable to test Crawley’s keeper
Dropped deep to win the ball and repeatedly drew fouls
Presented with a golden opportunity to earn the lead but took a touch before going down under challenge
Michael Appleton felt the referee “spoiled” things for his Shrewsbury Town against Crawley Town - and sympathised with Josh Feeney who was sent-off
The Town boss bemoaned referee decisions after their 2-1 loss at the Croud Meadow that brought Salop’s disappointing season to an end
Shrewsbury had shown promise throughout the first-half and were level with Crawley at the break
a penalty was given just minutes into the second period and a red card was shown to Josh Feeney - a decision Appleton disputed
“It’s hard to look beyond the performance of the referee,” said Appleton
but I had a conversation with him at the end of the game
and I am not sure if it is any consolation
but he did say that it wasn’t his greatest game and that he has had better days in the middle
“I am just disappointed because we have a young kid who has done well ever since I have been in the building and he gets sent off for absolutely nothing
It is bad enough to concede a penalty and go a goal down
“The response of the players was something that I can hold on to
we actually caused them a few issues as well
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy provided Crawley with a 48th-minute lead
Max Anderson then added a second on the volley
Mal Benning gave Shrewsbury hope through his late consolation goal
but Shrewsbury were unable to find a leveller
Appleton added that he thought it was a “certain penalty” when George Lloyd went down under challenge in the first-half
the Salop boss thought his side deserved to be ahead before the break
He added: “We should have given the fans a lot to cheer for in the first-half
“There are lots for me to take comfort from
there were a lot of things that happened that I already knew and I am not surprised about
they are the things that I will come into the summer window with.”
Town’s decade-long stay in League One officially came to an end and the search for Appleton’s first home win continues into the new campaign
Asked if the last games served as an opportunity to find out things about the players he has inherited
Appleton continued: “That is probably the most important thing for me
in terms of having an idea of what I have got for next year
Strengths and weaknesses of certain individuals
“This little period of games has been crucial for that
and I want to say a big thank you to the fans as well
They stayed and clapped the players at the end
“I am sure we will give them more next year
Luke Powell gives his thoughts following the final day defeat to Crawley
Shrewsbury Town’s dismal season ended in defeat to relegated Crawley Town with Town’s Josh Feeney sent off much to the host’s anger
Shrewsbury were left furious after Crawley were awarded a soft second-half penalty and defender Feeney shown a red Card
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy converted from the spot before Max Anderson‘s volley added a second for the visitors
Salop’s Mal Benning grabbed a consolation goal late-on
but Crawley were able to see out for the win
Town fans do have reasons to look forward to life under Michael Appleton in League Two next season with glimpses of quality in the first-half
the Town boss will have to wait until the new campaign to claim his first home win
Appleton named an unchanged side from the one that beat Barnsley last weekend and handed Callum Stewart his first home start
Crawley too lined-up as they did in the previous game against Northampton
It was an encouraging start for Shrewsbury who had the first effort on goal through Mal Benning
Boss Appleton has spoken of trying to give Shrewsbury an identity
and they certainly played some attractive football in the opening
Town supporters protested against Director of Football Mickey Moore
their attention quickly turned back to the pitch as Toto Nsiala headed over from a corner on the 15-minute mark
John Marquis was alert to smartly pick-up on a loose ball and raced forward accompanied by Lloyd
Town’s top scorer eventually squared the ball to Lloyd
but he took a touch instead of immediately firing at goal
and penalty appeals were waved away after he went down under challenge
Crawley’s Gavan Holohan was a danger and twice let fly at goal
but his second was better and was seen away for a corner
The visitors gathered momentum approaching the break
Crawley’s Rushian Hepburn-Murphy was played through on goal where he managed to beat and round Jamal Blackman
he was unable to steer an effort goalbound
Just under three-minutes into the second period
Crawley were awarded a soft penalty and Town defender Josh Feeney was remarkably sent off
coaches and supporters were shocked at the decision and vented their frustrations
Hepburn-Murphy slammed the spot-kick home and Appleton was furious
George Nurse’s corner less than 10-minutes later was nearly turned home by Crawley’s Panutche Camara as Shrewsbury looked for a response
Crawley extended their lead in emphatic style on the hour-mark as Max Anderson turned and volleyed into the bottom left corner to give the visitors daylight
and it became about damaged limitation for Appleton’s side
and Jack Roles’ free-kick was easily held by Blackman
Frustrations grew as decisions continued to go against the hosts
Blackman denied Armnando Quitirna’s free-kick effort before Hepburn-Murphy squandered a late Crawley chance
Mal Benning then gave Shrewsbury hope in the 88th-minute
Oliver’s ambitious overhead kick turned into a perfect pass for the defender who hammered home from close-range
Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have been retained in England’s 13-member squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe later this month, while an uncapped Essex duo has also earned a call-up
England have persisted with Zak Crawley as their opener despite his disastrous New Zealand tour, where he averaged just 8.66 across six innings, with a top score of 21. His struggles have continued in the County Championship
with his latest outing at Lord’s seeing him dismissed for 6 on the first morning of Kent’s fixture
Durham’s Ben McKinney was a potential alternative but has been overlooked
where he has managed just two wickets in his first three matches this season
With Chris Woakes and Mark Wood absent due to injuries
Cook’s path to a Test debut now looks clearer
Welcome, Sam Cook! 👋County: EssexFirst Class Wickets: 318Average: 19.77Serious numbers 👏 pic.twitter.com/5IYWovmeBC
The other call-up is Cook’s Essex teammate and wicketkeeper Jordan Cox, who rejoins the squad after a finger injury denied him a Test debut during the New Zealand tour
Cox was originally set to keep wicket when Jamie Smith was on paternity leave
Josh Tongue has earned a recall for the first time in two years
having struggled with pectoral and hamstring injuries since his last two Tests in 2023
Tongue made a strong start to the 2023 season
taking 15 wickets for Nottinghamshire at an average of 24.26
The Zimbabwe Test will also mark Ben Stokes’ first competitive match of the year after he suffered a hamstring injury for the second time in six months during the final Test of the New Zealand series
He underwent surgery and rehabilitation to regain fitness in time for the match
The four-day Test between England and Zimbabwe will be played at Trent Bridge from May 22-25
This marks Zimbabwe's first Test in England since 2003 and kicks off a busy summer for the hosts
England will follow this with a five-Test series against India before heading to Australia for the 2025-26 Ashes
Among Keith Crawley’s detailed tiny models is the Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar that includes statue of the dog
“It’s almost like you’re a giant looking down on something,” says the artist Keith Crawley, describing the tiny tributes he has made to some of Edinburgh’s best-loved pubs
has recreated 12 pubs in miniature – including Barony Bar
when Crawley made a fun-size version of his own house
But when he turned his hand to the pubs of his home town
replicating buildings in miniature became something of an obsession
View image in fullscreenKeith Crawley
has created 12 miniature pubs around Edinburgh
Photograph: Keith Crawley and J Dinse/PA“I decided to make pubs because pubs for me are local landmarks,” Crawley said
“The first one I made was the Auld Hundred and I got sucked in
it’s like Pokémon – you feel like you then have to make mini versions of all the pubs.”
Crawley uses Google Street View or Google Earth for reference
before visiting to check for features not captured online
“I went to the Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar to see what was at the back of the place,” he said
so sometimes you have to go into the nooks and crannies to find out what is hiding in there.”
After his research Crawley uses a mix of “old-school model-making methods” – like mounting card to replicate hills – as well as hi-tech techniques to faithfully render the beauty of Edinburgh’s historic watering holes
“I use polylactic acid (PLA) filament on the 3D printer to build the main structure of the model,” he added
“I’ll then use a computer-aided design (CAD) software called Blender to build the faces of the pub and
I’ll print them out and put the shape together
View image in fullscreenCrawley says he made mini pubs as they are his ‘local landmark’
Photograph: Keith Crawley/PA“I use Photoshop to create the windows and doors for the pubs and print those out
cut them out and stick them into the spaces I’ve allotted for them.”
Crawley, who adds everything from railings to street signs to ensure the models are as true to life as possible, says making Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar has been one of the project’s highlights, because of the fun he had making the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal terrier who
The reaction to Crawley’s work has given him the “buzz” to keep going
my sister put up an Instagram post and the pub replied saying it was amazing,” he said
“I’m not one to walk into pubs with my work usually but I met a friend at the Cask & Barrel and I happened to have my pub
and a number of the bar staff saw it and they thought it was a bit surreal to be looking at a model of a place they work in.”
Crawley, who posts his work on Instagram under the handle @kiwikaboodle, added: “It’s quite special when you get people who have been to these places commenting and hearing a wee bit of history about the place.”
“I think people have a fascination with miniatures … you feel amazed by the detail and it just captures your imagination.”
150 CommentsBristol Rovers and Crawley Town have been relegated from League One following Burton Albion's 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic
Ronan Darcy cancelled out Rumarn Burrell's opener for the hosts at the Pirelli Stadium but the result was enough to leave Rovers and Crawley four points behind the 20th-placed Brewers heading into the final round of matches on Saturday
Rovers' fate was all-but sealed with defeat by Reading last weekend, and while Crawley have won four out of eight games since the return of manager Scott Lindsey in March - they too have ultimately fallen short
Relegation ends Rovers' three-season spell in the division
while Crawley are back in League Two having secured promotion via the play-offs last term to play third-tier football for only the second time
All four relegation places in League One have been decided before the concluding games of the 2024-25 season
with Shrewsbury Town and Cambridge United also dropping down
Bristol Rovers have taken just one point from their past nine games
Bristol Rovers fans were celebrating one of the most remarkable days in the club's history as they beat Scunthorpe 7-0 and
Nothing has come close to those highs since
Kuwaiti businessman Hussain AlSaeed took majority control in August 2023
before becoming sole owner three months later
and there has been a turnover of senior figures with chief executive Tom Gorringe and director of football George Friend leaving this season
Two new managers have been appointed since Joey Barton was sacked in October 2023, in Matt Taylor and Inigo Calderon, and Taylor hinted at disruption before he was sacked - when Lee Cattermole was briefly appointed to his coaching staff without his knowledge
Following Saturday's defeat by Reading
I felt that there were a lot of bad things that weren't because of the previous manager
"But it's true that when I came to the club there were a lot of things that I didn't like
results have stagnated and after 15th and 17th-place finishes over the past two seasons
Rovers were nine points clear of the bottom four
but a run of six consecutive defeats - now no wins in nine games - plummeted them towards danger
They also have the worst away record in the division
claiming just three wins and 12 points in 22 matches
Captain James Wilson said last weekend the squad have not been fit enough to consistently deliver 90-minute performances
and that standards on and off the pitch have not been at a suitable level
not helped by the loss of forwards Promise Omochere and Chris Martin since March through a hamstring injury and knee surgery respectively
They now face a likely summer overhaul before kicking off in League Two next season
Scott Lindsey has averaged 1.33 points per game as Crawley manager this season - which
In the same month the Red Devils secured promotion via a stylish League Two play-off run
A month later he was back, saying his passion to bring about further progress had prompted the U-turn - but the only movement since has been in the wrong direction
the man who masterminded Crawley's promotion
dropped a division to join MK Dons as their new head coach in September after 87 games and 20 memorable months at the helm
Although the club were already struggling in 18th place with seven points from seven games
Johnson insisted he did not want to lose Lindsey
Former Newcastle goalkeeper and Gateshead manager Rob Elliot came in on a two-and-a-half-year deal
Elliot only won six of his 33 matches in charge of the Reds
and left with Crawley 12 points adrift of safety in League One
Lindsey was reinstated for a second stint in charge
Back-to-back victories over Bristol Rovers and Rotherham United in his first two games sparked belief that survival was possible
And though the Reds claimed four wins in eight matches
it was not enough to keep the Sussex club from dropping to League Two after one season in the third tier
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The visitors went close just past the half-hour mark
Gavan Holohan brought down the ball in the box and let fly from a close angle
but Shrewsbury managed to clear for a corner
Crawley won a penalty with Rushian Hepburn-Murphy stepping up to the spot and slotting away from 12 yards
Shrewsbury's Josh Feeney was shown a red card for dissent
Crawley doubled their advantage on the hour mark
with Anderson creatively converting into the bottom corner from the edge of the box
John Marquis went on a surging run soon after and let fly from the edge of the area
but his effort was kept out by goalkeeper Toby Steward
Armando Quitirna had a free-kick from 20 yards out
but he managed to tip it over the crossbar
Shrewsbury pulled one back with Mal Benning converting from close range
The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made
substituted for Junior Quitirna at 64 minutesNumber 6
Tanimu Match OfficialsReferee: Lee SwabeyAssistant Referee 1: Hristo KaraivanovAssistant Referee 2: Lee VenamoreFourth Official: Dean WatsonMatch StatsKey
Scroll LeftScroll RightAfter losing their first league game against Crawley Town 2-1 in October 2011
Shrewsbury Town are since unbeaten across their last six against them (W3 D3)
Crawley Town have failed to win any of their three away league games against Shrewsbury Town (D1 L2)
Coventry City (4) and Plymouth Argyle (4) more times away from home without victory in the EFL
Shrewsbury have failed to win any of their last 10 final games of a league campaign (D2 L8)
Crawley have lost 14 of their away games this season in League One and could equal their record for most away defeats in a Football League campaign with another here alongside 2015-16
Isaac England (Shrewsbury Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the left wing
Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town) is shown the yellow card
Taylor Perry (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked
Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time
Malvind Benning (Shrewsbury Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the centre of the goal
Vadaine Oliver (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left
Foul by Antony Papadopoulos (Crawley Town)
Taylor Perry (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick on the right wing
Junior Quitirna (Crawley Town) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left
Crawley's third win in seven games since Scott Lindsey's return as manager cuts the gap between them and safety to three points with two games remaining
Hepburn-Murphy and Camara both struck in the space of two minutes to put the hosts in control
Hepburn-Murphy scored at the second attempt from close range after his initial attempt was parried by Joe Whitworth
and then turned provider to set up Camara after a quick break
Hepburn-Murphy made it 3-0 from point blank range after a Camara shot was blocked after 24 minutes
before Caleb Watts replied for Exeter a minute later by heading in Ed Francis' cross
Substitute Tony Yogane shot into the side netting for the off-song Grecians who laboured to get back into the game
Keeper Whitworth was fortunate to escape a straight red card for handling outside the area before midfielder Francis was sent off a minute from time after picking up two bookings
substituted for Junior Quitirna at 75 minutesNumber 8
Yogane Match OfficialsReferee: Ben TonerAssistant Referee 1: David HarrisonAssistant Referee 2: Daniel BonneywellFourth Official: Wayne CartmelMatch StatsKey
Scroll LeftScroll RightCrawley Town have won just one of their last seven Football League games against Exeter City (D2 L4)
with the pair playing out a 4-4 draw in the reverse fixture in December last year
Exeter City have won four of their seven away Football League games against Crawley Town (D1 L2)
scoring 2+ goals in three of those victories
Crawley have played six home matches on Easter Monday
Exeter have won just one of their last five league games played on Easter Monday (D2 L2)
though that sole victory did come last season vs Cheltenham Town (2-1)
Gavan Holohan (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing
Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time
Second yellow card to Ed Francis (Exeter City)
Jeremy Kelly (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Reece Cole (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half
Joel Colwill (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Liam Fraser (Crawley Town) is shown the yellow card
Charlie Barker (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Jeremy Kelly and Kamari Doyle were all on target as Crawley swept the Cobblers aside
Burton's win over Cambridge means Crawley remain three points from safety with one game remaining - and a goal difference far inferior to the Brewers
Burton also have a game in hand and can condemn Crawley to the drop if they take a point or more against Wigan on Tuesday
Crawley's Canadian international midfielder Liam Fraser was narrowly off target early on when he shot wide from the edge of the area after a cross from Kelly
Crawley striker Hepburn-Murphy was unable to connect with a dangerous cross from Jack Roles on the edge of the six-yard box
Northampton threatened for the first time when top scorer Cameron McGeehan had a close-range shot saved
The Red Devils broke the deadlock six minutes before the break when Panutche Camara set up Hepburn-Murphy and he scored with a crisp right-foot shot low to the far post
Crawley almost doubled their lead five minutes after the interval when a shot from Kelly was deflected onto the bar by Terry Taylor
Hepburn-Murphy put a first-time shot before breaking clean through only to be denied by keeper Lee Burge who blocked the shot with his body
giving Burge no chance with a right-foot finish
Substitute Doyle sealed Crawley's straight forward win with a minute left
substituted for Junior Quitirna at 74 minutesNumber 8
Wilson Match OfficialsReferee: Jacob MilesAssistant Referee 1: Andrew BennettAssistant Referee 2: Ryan WhitakerFourth Official: Charles BreakspearMatch StatsKey
Scroll LeftScroll RightCrawley Town have lost each of their last three league games against Northampton Town
failing to score in each of their last two
Northampton Town have won three of their last five away league games against Crawley Town (D1 L1)
winning this exact fixture 3-2 the last time it was played in August 2022
After winning their last home league game 3-1 vs Exeter City
Crawley will be looking to record successive home wins in the same season for the first time since March 2024
Northampton have lost just one of their last six away league games (W3 D2)
though that defeat did come last time out on the road with a 2-1 loss at Charlton Athletic
James Wilson (Northampton Town) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal
Liam Fraser (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Liam Fraser (Crawley Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul
Tariqe Fosu (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Will Hondermarck (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Kamari Doyle (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner
Dara Costelloe (Northampton Town) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner
Junior Quitirna (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half
Foul by Cameron McGeehan (Northampton Town)
Antony Papadopoulos replaces Gavan Holohan
Ben Perry (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half
The incident, involving a grey BMW 3 Series, happened at 8.36pm on Saturday, April 12, on the A2219 London Road in Crawley.
The woman's 12-year-old sister and their cousin, a 19-year-old woman, who were local to the area, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Their next of kin have been informed and and are being supported by specialist officers.
A 33-year-old man from Crawley was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs, and remains in police custody.
Chief Inspector James Davidson said: “Our thoughts are with the victims’ family at this difficult time and we ask that the public respect their right to privacy.
“I’d like to reassure the community that we swiftly arrested a suspect in connection with this tragic incident, and our enquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances.
“The collision occurred in London Road, Crawley, immediately outside the leisure park. This is a well populated area and we’re urging anyone who saw what happened or captured any relevant mobile, dash cam or CCTV footage to please come forward.”
Toby Steward was on the bench for Portsmouth in their 2-1 Championship defeat by Sheffield Wednesday in October
Crawley Town have signed Portsmouth goalkeeper Toby Steward on an emergency seven-day loan
The 20-year-old has already spent parts of this season on loan at National League South club Tonbridge Angels and National League outfit Wealdstone
Steward becomes the Red Devils' third emergency goalkeeper to arrive at the Broadfield Stadium in the past month
following seven-day loan moves for Hull City's Timothee Lo-Tutala and Bolton's Luke Hutchinson
With three senior goalkeepers all unavailable to Crawley boss Scott Lindsey
Steward is expected to start against League One champions Birmingham City at St Andrew's on Good Friday
Relegation-threatened Crawley have been unable to name a goalkeeper on their bench since the 4-3 defeat at Bolton Wanderers on 8 February
six points from safety with four matches remaining
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England have rallied behind Zak Crawley ahead of their first Test of the summer, with selector Luke Wright insisting: “We back him to the hilt”
Crawley had an up-and-down time of it on Friday
retaining his place in a 13-man squad to face Zimbabwe later this month
only to be dismissed in single figures for the fourth time in this season’s Rothesay County Championship
Pressure is building around the 27-year-old, who averaged just 8.66 in a torrid tour of New Zealand before Christmas and found himself dropped in an overseas stint at the SA20
When he fell lbw to Middlesex seamer Dane Paterson at Lord’s for six
it took his first-innings tally for Kent to eight runs in four attempts – offset by a couple of second-innings fifties
England were never likely to ditch Crawley at this juncture
given their long-held faith in his prowess as a top-order disruptor
Jacob Bethell is currently away at the Indian Premier League but made a big impression in New Zealand and will soon be firmly back in contention
With Jamie Smith also back after taking paternity leave in December
and the in-form Jordan Cox in the squad as batting cover
“You have to back people when they’ve shown something
We back him to the hilt,” Wright said of Crawley’s retention
“(Look at) the amount of runs he’s scored against top teams
Opening the batting in international cricket is incredibly tough… you will always have dips in form but you want to be loyal to people who have performed on that stage
“He’s as good as anyone on his day and when he’s playing well
Life is looking at how well people can play on their best days
“I’m sure he’s disappointed with his last six months
but that’s doesn’t mean he can’t have a great summer
We want to back him in and let’s hope it works.”
a reminder that numbers do ultimately count as well as a nod to Bethell’s status as the coming man
“Any players knows runs are their currency
In international cricket someone is always under pressure or scrutiny from the outside and it’s no different,” said Wright
He’s ticking on really well and we’ll be excited to have him back in the summer
Captain Ben Stokes is hoping to play a fully-fledged all-rounder role at Trent Bridge, five months after badly tearing his hamstring, but will hope he does not have too much bowling do against the southern Africans.
He will instead rely on a new-look pace attack, thinned out by injuries to the likes of Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes.
That means a long-awaited first call-up for Sam Cook, the seam-bowling standard bearer of the domestic circuit and owner of 318 first-class wickets at 19.77, alongside Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts and the returning Josh Tongue. Within hours of the announcement, Essex announced Cook had signed a new three-year contract.
He has had to wait for his chance, frequently overlooked for others with greater speed and lesser statistics, but now has an opportunity to show he can thrive without express pace.
“He’s had to be patient, yes. He’s kept knocking the door down, fair play to him,” explained Wright.
“Every time there is a different challenge and you think things will be stacked against him, he performs and still takes wickets. Yes he’s not up there at 85-86mph and that is fine because he’s got incredible skill.
“Speak to top-order batters in county cricket, he’s the one everyone fears the most.”
:: England squad to face Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge (May 22-25): Z Crawley, B Duckett, O Pope, J Root, H Brook, J Smith, B Stokes (c), J Cox, G Atkinson, M Potts, J Tongue, S Cook, S Bashir.
Essex seamer Sam Cook earns his first call-up and could make his debut at Trent Bridge
Uncapped seamer Sam Cook is in line for a Test debut after earning inclusion in England cricket’s 13-man squad for the encounter against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge
Cook is one of two uncapped inclusions in Brendon McCullum’s group for the opening engagement of the international summer
with Jordan Cox retained as the spare batter
Cox was denied a debut in New Zealand over the winter after breaking his thumb batting in the nets, but has started the County Championship season well for Essex
who is in line to move back up to No 3 with Jacob Bethell away at the Indian Premier League (IPL)
With Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood all injured, Cook is part of a youthful seam attack that also includes Josh Tongue – fit and firing after missing nearly all of 2024 with injury – Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson
Captain Ben Stokes is set to return from a hamstring injury before the Test begins in Nottingham on 22 May
England have not played Zimbabwe in the format since 2003
The one-off encounter serves as the hors d’ouevre to a huge year for Stokes and his team
with five Tests against India serving as the centrepiece of the summer before a trip Down Under for the Ashes later in the year
The return of Bethell will pose questions about the composition of England’s top order after an assured first series for the Warwickshire left-hander in New Zealand
with Crawley and Pope perhaps under particular scrutiny despite their standing in the group
Neither has yet consistently thrived at Test level, though Pope impressed when filling in as captain for Stokes last year. Joe Root, Harry Brook, Smith and the skipper are entrenched in the middle order.
While Bashir is included in this squad and is considered a bowler with a high ceiling, the raw Somerset off-spinner has endured a difficult time on loan at Glamorgan early in the summer and remains something of a project.
With Stokes’s workload sure to be managed given what is to come, and a four-day Test perhaps reducing the requirement for a specialist spinner, England could yet field four seamers at Trent Bridge.
Zimbabwe enjoyed an impressive win in the first Test against Bangladesh in April, before falling to an innings in Chattogram as the hosts squared the series. They are not part of the World Test Championship, with this upcoming fixture falling outside of that competition.
England squad to face Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge (22-25 May): Ben Stokes (capt.), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir.
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The highly skilful Sam Cook has been called up to the England squad
Armando Junior Quitirna gave the hosts the lead four minutes after the break
but Kelman's double settled the issue before Jamie Donley added insurance in stoppage time as the O's produced a dominant second-half display
Richie Wellens' men are now three points off the play-offs while Crawley
are six points from safety with four games left
Crawley boss Scott Lindsey went into the clash appealing for everyone to stay connected as "battering the players" would not help the "huge task" of trying to avoid relegation
The Red Devils gave a league debut to keeper Luke Hutchinson
signed on an emergency seven-day loan from Bolton
and he was called into action after 17 minutes when he saved a shot from Kelman with his legs
Crawley threatened when Jeremy Kelly's ball over the top found Kamari Doyle and he drilled an angled shot narrowly wide
and Kelman headed over at the other end shortly before the break
The hosts broke the deadlock four minutes into the restart when Quitirna kept his cool from the penalty spot after defender Sean Clare was penalised for a challenge on Toby Mullarkey
But Orient turned things around immediately with two goals in the space of two minutes through top scorer Kelman to extend his league tally to 19 for the season
After levelling by firing passed keeper Hutchinson
converted a penalty after handball by Mullarkey
The O's threatened again when captain Omar Beckles narrowly missed a cross to the far post by substitute Dan Agyei
Donley put the gloss on Orient's win in the first minute of stoppage time with a simple finish following a mistake by Hutchinson
and the O's now boast five wins from their past seven games
Jaiyesimi at 79 minutesSubstitutesNumber 7
Phillips Match OfficialsReferee: Alan YoungAssistant Referee 1: Declan O'SheaAssistant Referee 2: Jon BlockFourth Official: Callum WalchesterMatch StatsKey
Scroll LeftScroll RightCrawley Town have won five of their eight home Football League meetings with Leyton Orient
though have failed to score in each of their last three (D1 L2)
Leyton Orient have won each of their last four Football League games against Crawley Town
after winning just three of their prior 14 meetings in the EFL beforehand (D1 L10)
Crawley have won just two of their last 12 league games (D3 L7)
scoring more than one goal in just two of those matches
Leyton Orient have only lost one of their last five league games (W3 D1)
this after losing five in a row beforehand
Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal
Fourth official has announced 8 minutes of added time
Daniel Agyei (Leyton Orient) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high
Foul by Rushian Hepburn-Murphy (Crawley Town)
Sean Clare (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the defensive half
Diallang Jaiyesimi replaces Charlie Kelman because of an injury
Delay in match because of an injury Charlie Kelman (Leyton Orient)
Daniel Agyei (Leyton Orient) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right
Charlie Kelman (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick on the left wing
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Shrewsbury Town bring down the curtain on their time in League One this weekend against fellow relegated side Crawley Town
There has been little to cheer over the last nine months for the loyal Shrews fans who have followed their club home and away over the course of a 46-match third-tier season
Shrews have spent the last 10 years in the league
but this weekend they will have to wave goodbye to it
Town are still trying to put respectability to their campaign
and a win against Crawley - a side they beat 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller under Paul Hurst earlier in the campaign - might ease the pain of fans just a fraction
Back-to-back wins would be nice for Shrewsbury heading into the summer
it has been an awful season - Salop have won just eight League One games