'It’s important to chip in for all areas' - Key Crawley Town midfielder is adding goals to his assists

The midfielder joined the Reds from relegated Rochdale in the summer and has taken to Scott Lindsey’s team and style like a duck to water. A string of brilliant performances was capped with a superb strike in the win at Blundell Park.

Speaking about his first goal for the club, Kelly said: “It’s always nice to score goals, and I guess I’m not really in the team to score goals, but when the opportunity comes, it’s always nice to get on the scoresheet, and get us back in the game. We started the game really slow, so it was nice to get back-to-back goals early going into half-time.”

The midfielder hasn’t just shown his goal-scoring touch, either, having already turned creator on five occasions in all competitions this season – with four assists in the league making him joint top provider in the whole division.

And the 27-year-old believes that Scott Lindsey deserves credit for that. “I think if I can chip in with assists as well, I’ve got a licence from the gaffer and the coaching staff to I think as a team in the final third to play how we see it, in a way, building up from the back, we’re quite structured, and there’s a method to it,” he said.

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“I think the gaffer’s been really good. In the final third, we’ve sort of got a licence to do what we want in a way, so it’s allowed me to get a few assists and pick them passes out. I’m just lucky enough to have lads on the end of it, putting them away.”

It’s no surprise that the former Rochdale man finally got off the mark against Grimsby, given his ability from range. But it is his other traits in midfield which have helped Scott Lindsey’s side turn their season around after a slow start.

Since suffering a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Swindon Town, Crawley have remained unbeaten in five games, dropping points just once - a 3-3 draw against Stockport. Most impressively, that run has seen Lindsey’s side score 18 goals, which equates to 3.6 goals per-game in what has been a ruthless attacking streak.

Speaking on the goals from his particular position, Kelly said: “I think it’s massive now for midfielders to chip in. You see the top players, your Kevin de Bruynes’, Bruno (Fernandes), their stats are off the roof in terms of up there with wingers and strikers, so I think, especially in the modern game, it’s important to chip in for all areas really, strikers, midfielders, wingers, full-backs nowadays.”

With players like Kelly now off the mark, Crawley may well find themselves boosted even further in attack. Up next, the Red Devils face Sutton United this Saturday, followed up with a trip to Doncaster on Tuesday and then host Wrexham side.