Mark Wright: Why there was never any danger of TV star's presence distracting Harrogate Town's players from the task at hand

In the end, TV star Mark Wright’s full debut for the Red Devils became a mere sideshow as Simon Weaver’s team netted three first-half goals on their way to a fine away success over a side who dumped Premier League Leeds United out of the FA Cup just last month.

On another day, the novelty value of the former The Only Way is Essex’s stars presence on the pitch might have upstaged a performance that was so impressive it saw three Harrogate players included in League Two’s Team of the Weekend.

But, however the match unfolded, there was never any danger of Town letting Wright’s inclusion in Crawley’s starting XI distract for them from the task at hand.

“It was nothing to us,” Sulphurites midfielder George Thomson told the Harrogate Advertiser when asked about his and his team-mates‘ reaction to receiving their hosts' team-sheet.

“It didn’t affect us at all.

“We know he [Wright] plays for the club, so it’s one of them, if he plays, he plays. It didn’t alter how we approached the game.

“It was just a case of ‘he’s playing left-back then’, it didn’t change our game-plan in any way.”

Three goals behind by half-time, Crawley’s game-plan did change, with Wright among three home players hooked at the interval by a furious John Yems.

The Red Devils’ left-back struggled against the pace of Town’s rapid right-winger Simon Power and looked rather suspect in terms of his positioning at times, but wasn’t alone in enduring a difficult afternoon.

And the ex-Tottenham Hotspur trainee’s manager was quick to defend him during a post-match assessment in which he did not hold back.

"It wasn't Mark's fault, but today it was farcical first half, absolutely farcical," Yems said.

"We got what we deserved and that was absolutely nothing. [The performance] was nowhere near acceptable at the professional level.

"It was abysmal. We didn't deserve anything in the first half. The players have to stand up, they will have a tough week. That's the same team that beat Leeds."

Aaron Martin handed Harrogate a 13th-minute lead when he forced Josh March's low, right-wing cross under the body of Crawley goalkeeper Glenn Morris from eight yards out.

March then doubled the away advantage from the penalty spot on the half-hour-mark, converting himself after he was brought down inside the box by a lunging Josh Wright, brother of the aforementioned Mark.

Power made it three in first-half stoppage-time, seeing his strike from outside the Crawley area deflected past Morris by Tony Craig.

Tom Dallison pulled one back for the Red Devils early in the second period, and although centre-half Will Smith was sent off for a professional foul with 67 minutes on the clock, Town were able to see the game out with relative ease.