Ian Holloway criticises ‘minging’ Swindon show as they go joint top of the table

Ian Holloway praised his Swindon side for grinding out a win despite a “minging” performance.

Ollie Palmer’s second-half penalty saw off Crawley and put the Wiltshire side level on points with Sky Bet League Two leaders Walsall.

However, Holloway was unimpressed with the display.

He said: “It was minging. I think our first six touches of the ball, we gave back to them. It looked awful. I thought, ‘here we go’.

“We looked like we couldn’t pass it, but at the end of it, all that matters, we managed to hold on.

“We’d have probably lost a game like that before. I feel for Scott (Crawley manager, Lindsey), his team played probably better than mine.

“So well done to everybody. Some of the blocks we’ve got in and some important headers – we wouldn’t have done before.

“One of their players went, ‘wow, you (have) got some monsters in there’. It was horrible, but we won.”

Holloway said he hoped players took the right lessons from the performance, adding: “It’s absolutely vital that the lads understand it’s not all about being good all the time.

“It’s about can you win when six or seven of you haven’t played as well as you can?”

Crawley edged the first half. Centre-back Josh Flint was allowed time to roam forward with the ball and tried his luck from 20 yards but Connor Ripley got down well to the low shot.

Harry Forster should have scored from inside the six-yard box but jabbed well over after Dion Pereira wriggled through defenders down the right and put in a perfect cross.

Referee Leigh Doughty awarded a penalty after ruling that Finley Munroe had fouled Pereira but then changed his mind after consulting with the linesman.

But he stuck to his decision after Munroe was pulled down by Pereira with Ollie Palmer converting the penalty in the 53rd minute.

A great save by Harvey Davies denied Paul Glatzel from Munroe’s low cross, with Ripley doing well at the other end to parry Ade Adeyemo’s fierce half-volley.

Crawley are winless in six but Lindsey was upbeat, saying: “We were the better side. We were unbelievable, outstanding from start to finish.

“We didn’t do a lot wrong at all in the whole game other than not put the ball in the net, we were brilliant.

“We were outstanding throughout the game. We had the better chances and really limited them.

“We play so well, dominate the game, dominate the chances, but lose 1-0 and it feels as if when you’re down there, nothing really rolls for you.

“And when you’re up there, it does, and that’s how the game went.

“I’m proud of the players and if we carry on with that kind of performance we will be more than fine.”