Crawley Town midfielder says defeat against Gillingham 'just a bump in the road'

The Reds lost in the league for the first time this season at the hands of in-form Gillingham. The match was a top-of-the-table clash with both sides previously unbeaten after three games.

The Gills came out on top, thanks to Harry Ransom’s first-half own-goal after Dom Telford had a penalty saved for the hosts. It was the visitors' fourth consecutive 1-0 win to maintain their faultless start to the season.

“Our first defeat is one of disappointment and frustration,” Kelly, said post-match. “We didn’t play as well as what we had done [in previous games].

"The first 20 minutes, we started really well. The penalty was a game changer really. If that goes in, it gives us confidence.

"The way they play, it would have brought them out because they have to score. Apart from the penalty, we are disappointed in how we played really.

“[The penalty miss] gave them confidence and fair play to them. As soon as they get the goal, they are so hard to break down.

"They are a good team. They know how they play. We have to be better when we play them again.”

Liam Kelly, 27, joined Crawley this summer after his exit from Rochdale, who were relegated from League Two last season.

The midfielder, who has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-21 level, is one of only two Crawley players who have started all five games so far this season, in all competitions – alongside Ransom.

The upcoming week is the first time the West Sussex club do not have a midweek fixture, with six days to prepare for the trip to Swindon on Saturday (August 26).

Asked if a full-week of training will benefit the players before the next game, Kelly said: “You can look at it from two ways.

"I am enjoying it so much and you want to keep playing games, the way we have been playing.

"But it will be nice to have the long build up of a week to look back at this game and work towards Swindon.

“We are creating chances, which is what we want. More often than not, we are putting them away. I think we will go into next week confident.

"It’s just a bump in the road. We are never going to win every game or go unbeaten as much as we would like to. There’s 42 games left – so still a long way to go.”