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Search forWright: Pressure is on Crawley Town to revive play-off challenge
Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 09:45
The in-form centre-back says the Reds have to get back to winning ways when they clash with Ebbsfleet in front of the television cameras on Thursday evening, after picking up just one point in their last three league games.
Wright, who deservedly collected the supporters' player of the month award for October before Saturday's draw with Cambridge, said the players are aware they need to rediscover the winning habit and revive their promotion challenge.
"We are under pressure, all the lads are, and we need a win now to put ourselves back in the play-offs," he said.
"We put ourselves under pressure every game and we're trying to get back up there. Ebbsfleet will be a hard game but we have the players to be able to beat any team in this league.
"We just need to get back to winning ways on Thursday night."
Crawley will go into the Blue Square Premier game, which will be screened live on Setanta Sports, still without Isaiah Rankin who is now only a "few weeks" away from returning after his ruptured hamstring injury, according to Reds assistant boss Paul Raynor.
Top scorer Jamie Cook (groin) should be among the substitutes although full-back Sam Rents is serving a suspension.
Wright has suffered his own injury woe already this season, picking up a knock against Salisbury City last month that cruelly deprived him of the chance to represent his country.
The 22-year-old had to pull out of the England C squad before their game against Italy after damaging his ankle.
He said: "I was gutted to be honest. I did it after 10 minutes [of the Salisbury match] and got to half-time and took my sock off and it had started to swell.
"The gaffer and the physio gave me a good chance to get back but he told me on the Thursday before we were due to travel that he didn't think I'd be ready.
"It proves I've been doing well down here but I was gutted to miss out."
The Yorkshireman's selection was a reward for a season in which he has performed consistently well since signing from the doomed Halifax Town in the summer.
Wright was close to joining League One side Doncaster Rovers but they raised their sights after winning promotion to the Coca Cola Championship and the defender had to look elsewhere for a move.
"I spoke to Doncaster a few times and would have joined them if they hadn't been promoted," he said. "But that fell through when they got promoted via the play-offs and then they wanted a different type of player. It was disappointing but it opened another door."
That door was Crawley where he joined up with former Halifax team-mates Lewis Killeen and Danny Forrest. Adam Quinn joined later to make the ex-Shaymen contingent up to four.
Wright has shone alongside Quinn at centre-back this season while covering for Chris Giles, and he admits the chance to play in that position was one of the reasons he came south.
"I knew Chris Giles the captain and I also wanted the chance to play centre-half rather than left-back," he said.
"I can play well with Quinny or Gilo because we have a good understanding. I'm not the tall one so they head things away and I sweep up behind."
But Wright's versatility is likely to mean he will be moved out to left-back against Ebbsfleet on Thursday night if, as expected, Quinn recovers from a slight calf strain and resumes his role in central defence.
Kick-off for the live Setanta game is at 7.45pm.
THE Ebbsfleet match was originally due to be played on Monday this week (November 17) but was moved to Thursday to allow Setanta to screen the Leeds v Northampton FA Cup replay.
It has meant that Crawley's trip to York City, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been moved back one day to Sunday (November 23), kick-off 3pm.
Well done: Jake Wright gets congratulated by Crawley Town assistant manager Paul Raynor RCNNFS130908-D-48 by Nick ffrench
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