Relieved Crawley assistant boss Neil Smith hailed Taylor Richards after his dramatic 89th-minute winner ended the club’s 11-game winless run with a 1-0 victory over Barrow.
It was a game between two sides fighting for their Football League lives at Holker Street.
And Richards, signed on New Year’s Day, produced a moment of quality to win it as he drove at the defence and fired into the bottom corner.
It was a goal which fired Town two points clear of the League Two drop zone.
And Smith said: “If you’re going to score a winner, score it in the last minute of the game.
“He’s a fantastic player. It’s just about getting him up to speed in a short space of time.
“That’s what Taylor Richards can do. It’s about finding that consistency and hopefully that will come.
“To come on and do what he did was a fantastic effort. We knew he’s played at a top, top level and wants to get there again.
“He’s a proper football player and whilst he’s with us we’ve got to get the best out of him.
“The boys put in a shift today. We knew it was a big game. We needed a result and we got it.
“We’ve probably played better than that in the games we’ve lost. We’re not going to pretend that was a fantastic performance, but it was an important one.
“It’s a long away trip. Seven hours up here and seven hours back, so to get the three points is a great feeling.
“Today was about rolling up the sleeves and having that attitude to get a result and we’ve done that.”
Paul Gallagher is still awaiting his first win as Barrow boss.
The Cumbrian side are just four points clear of the drop zone after being slowly dragged into a relegation scrap.
Isaac Fletcher had an effort disallowed for offside with the game still goalless.
And Gallagher fumed: “Goals change games. There’s a moment where we should have a clean goal and we haven’t got it.
“The referee actually chalks it off, not the linesman. I don’t know how that works.
“The ref said Danny Rose was interfering with the goalkeeper, but we’ve seen it back and he’s nowhere near. He actually holds his hands up as if to say, ‘I’m not involved’.
“In all honesty, the goalkeeper should probably clear it really, but he pushes it out and Fletch arrives and scores.
“We’re celebrating thinking it’s a goal. I looked at the linesman straight away, but it was the referee’s decision that Danny Rose was interfering with the goalkeeper.
“That just swung the momentum. It gave Crawley a bit of relief.
“It’s moments in games. I think if the lad does that another 10 times he doesn’t score. It’s just our luck at the minute that he bends it into the bottom corner.
“I’ve said to the guys that it’s a strong performance, but we have to win games. We know that.
“If we keep showing that level of performance, that application, that determination then we’ll win games. I believe in that.”
