BARROW AFC have their work cut out to put a dent in Crawley’s confidence – that is the verdict of manager Pete Wild.
The Bluebirds boss believes his side are more than capable of doing just that, but he accepts it won’t be easy.
Wild’s men make the long journey to face The Red Devils at the Broadfield Stadium tomorrow.
The Cumbrians will meet a Town side on a high having won their last three games.
Those results leave Scott Lindsey’s side ninth in the League Two table and pushing to try and get into the play-off spots.
In contrast, Wild’s squad have been on a bad run of form of late, but still occupy a play-off berth.
Speaking about tomorrow’s clash, Wild told The Mail: “Everybody we seem to come up against seems to have a run of form at the moment.
“But we have been working with the players and looking at how they will try to play against us and what threat’s they pose and how we negate them.
“Crawley is always a tough place to go, and with the way that they are playing and the form that they are in we are going to have to be at our best to make sure we combat that.”
Wild was full of praise for Town boss Lindsey and the impact he has had on the club.
He added; “You look at the job Scott’s done there with the players he’s made better, the players he has brought in, a lot of them from the league’s below.
“Their way of playing is excellent, and the last three games that I have watched it looks like they are playing with a lot of freedom within the shape that they play.
“I think it will be a real tough test. They have a defined way of playing, and it looks like the players have bought into that.”
Like a number of League Two outfits The Red Devils are enjoying at purple patch at the moment.
Wild feels that form has given the hosts renewed impetus and belief.
“We spoke to the players on Monday and what we have said is that probably the top 12 teams at least have had sort of a barren spell and then gone on a mini run,” he said.
“Crawley are having that at the minute. They’ve had a barren spell and now they’ve had a run of three wins on the bounce and they are playing with confidence.
“I remember them causing us a lot of problems at Holker Street with how they played and now they are playing with a little bit more freedom and balance because of the results that they have had.
“I don’t think there has been any change in the way they have played since we met at Holker Street, but they are enjoying a good run with that defined way of playing at the minute.
“We know we are going to have to be at our best and we want to be at our best.
“So we know what we need to do and if we do that we will see where that takes us.”
A repeat of the 1-0 win over The Red Devils back at Holker Street in November would certainly be a shot in the arm for the Bluebirds.
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