Scott Lindsey critical of penalty decision as Crawley held by Walsall

Crawley boss Scott Lindsey was critical of referee John Busby’s decision to awarded Walsall a first-half penalty in his side’s 1-1 League Two home draw against the Saddlers.

Busby adjudged that Jack Earing was tripped by Jay Williams seven minutes before the break, but Lindsey felt the decision was unjust.

Former Crawley midfielder Isaac Hutchinson sent goalkeeper Corey Addai the wrong way from the resulting spot-kick to put Walsall ahead, but Liam Kelly equalised midway through the second half as the Reds halted a run of three-successive league defeats.

Former Swindon manager Lindsey was delighted with the manner of his side’s performance and said: “We were outstanding.

“It was a penalty that wasn’t. I’ve seen it back it and it was a dive.

“A tactical shift helped to speed up our play in the second half and we cut through them at times. We deserved more than a point, but we’ll take it and move on.”

This was Crawley’s first home league draw for 10-and-a-half months – since a goalless stalemate with Walsall last April – and Lindsey has now told his men they must be at their very best for the visit of second-bottom Forest Green on Saturday.

Forest Green won for the first time under boss Steve Cotterill with a 2-1 victory at Barrow and Lindsey warned: “Saturday’s game will be the hardest of the lot.

“Forest Green are scrapping for their lives and their win will give them a tremendous boost.”

Walsall boss Mat Sadler was delighted at the response of his team after a 3-0 home defeat against Newport last Saturday.

He said: “We came out fighting.

“When you lose at home like that, you’ve got to be facing questions. But I’m proud at the way we responded and we came out fighting.

“In the end I’m delighted that Isaac got the penalty because of the way he’s performed, but I also think that Jamille (Matt) and Jack (Earing) deserve a lot of credit for their performances.”

Sadler felt Crawley defender Laurence Maguire was lucky to avoid a sending off, adding: “The referee should have given (Maguire) a second yellow card but he had already booked him and didn’t want to send him off.

“Obviously we would have had an advantage, but I’m delighted by our group’s response to the result at home to Newport (a 3-0 defeat).

“Crawley had a spell in the second half that put them back in it and we had to settle for a point – but it could have been better.”