BILLY Clarke insists victory over his old club Crawley can act as a double whammy for City tonight.

The striker stressed the importance of banking a first league win in four games to stay in the thick of the play-off chase after Doncaster jumped into sixth spot.

He also believes victory can act as a springboard going into Saturday’s FA Cup showdown with Reading.

Clarke said: “Nobody goes intentionally into a game with one eye on the cup. Momentum and confidence is so important and you can’t just switch it on like a tap.

“We need to get back to winning ways in the league. Donny have been doing well the last few weeks so that puts more importance on us beating Crawley.

“It’s becoming the business end of the season now. Results are the most important thing and it doesn’t matter how you get them.

“There will be teams in the top six right now who will go through three games without winning this season. It always happens.

“We’ve just got to concentrate on getting our own form right and I’m sure we’re more than good enough to do it.

“Do what we’ve been doing for three-quarters of the season and we’ll be fine.”

Signed by Steve Evans from Blackpool, Clarke played 92 games for Crawley and scored 24 goals. He was named the club’s player of the year in 2013.

Clarke said: “I enjoyed my time there but without being disrespectful, Crawley are a small club.

“We had a good bunch of boys and finished tenth in our first season in League One. I scored a few goals that year and was happy with it.

“Then the wheels started coming off. The owners started pulling the plug on a lot of things.

“The way the club’s been run in the last three years is a bit of a shambles. Little things like getting on the bus sometimes and there’s no water are not great.

“There’s been a massive turnover of players and they’ve been getting rid of fully qualified people for half-qualified ones just to save a few quid.

“It does come back on you if you cut corners. It’s a shame really because there are some good people at the club.

“But three seasons on the bounce they’ve loaned out one of their best players. That shows the ambition they have.

“There might be a couple of people left from my time but everything’s been turned on its head.

“But I know they’ve been on a good run last few games, beating Swindon, smashing Barnsley and getting a good draw against Sheffield United. They are no mugs.”

Clarke spent just three months under Evans before the controversial Scot left for Rotherham. It was an experience that has left an impression.

“That was a whirlwind,” added the Irishman. “Lucky we were doing well really.

“He’s tough to work under and you’ve got to have a rock-hard shell. You’ve got to be hard as nails mentally.

“If that’s the type of player he wants, then fair enough. He has been successful in this league and League Two.”