Crawley Town 2 Leyton Orient 1
Reds completed the double over promotion-chasing Leyton Orient in a Good Friday thriller at the Checkatrade.com Stadium.
Gwion Edwards scored his second goal in two games to put Reds in front on his full debut. Chris Dagnall equalised before the break but Crawley dominated the second half and Andy
Drury wrapped up a third win in a week with a perfectly placed header 20 minutes from time.
There was just one change for Reds from the side that beat Tranmere on Tuesday with Gwion Edwards, who scored our second goal in the 2-0 win, starting with Jamie Proctor dropping to the bench.
Orient have already won 11 away games this season and they were on the front foot in the early stages, although Reds had the first shot on target in the ninth minute when Mike Jones fired straight at namesake Jamie in the O’s goal.
Elliot Omozusi came up from left back to fire over from the edge of the box and then from the first corner of the contest ex-Reds’ loanee Lloyd James pulled the ball back to Dagnall for a header from 15 yards which was straight at Paul Jones.
Dean Cox then dragged a shot wide but when the deadlock was broken on 26 minutes it was Reds who struck.
Dannie Bulman made a great break into space and spotted the run of EDWARDS, who came off the flank to meet his pass and guide it past Jones from 15 yards.
Orient continued to look dangerous though. David Mooney side-footed just wide after good work by Dagnall who was then denied by Jones when he came out smartly to smother at the striker’s feet.
Dagnall then headed straight at Jones before Orient deservedly equalised on 40 minutes. Mathieu Buadry met James’ corner with a header and Dagnall helped it past Jones to make it 1-1.
Reds, though, finished the half strongly with Edwards shooting wide after cutting in from the left.
The Welshman was involved again at the start of the second half when he ran at the O’s defence but shot wide. Mooney tried his luck from distance but was also off target and another long-range effort, this time by Andy Drury, was never testing Jones.
Reds made their first change on the hour when Jamie Proctor came on for Tubbs and three minutes later Edwards nearly scored his second when his powerful shot from 25 yards was acrobatically turned over by the keeper. From the corner Edwards glanced a header goalwards which Moses Odubajo cleared off the line.
Reds got the goal their second half pressure deserved on 70 minutes. Mike Jones picked out DRURY who had found space on the left and he directed an excellent header back across Jones and inside the post.
Jones was tested again on 74 minutes when Proctor’s header found Simpson, whose first time volley was saved by the keeper.
Orient had rarely threatened in the second half but Mooney should have levelled with 14 minutes to go when Mooney found space after Cox had swung in a free kick but his effort on the turn was straight at Jones.
Edwards was having a storming game and a brilliant run nearly created a third for Reds. The winger shrugged off two challenges as he made his way into the box then teed up Simpson whose low effort was held at full stretch by Jones.
Cox was still a threat and he cut in from the right to hit a cross-shot that flashed across the face of goal.
There was a scare for Reds in stoppage time when Kyle McFadzean produced a brilliant goalline clearance to deny Mooney, who sunk to his knees and beat the ground in frustration.
A few seconds later Reds had completed their third win in six days and they departed to a fully deserved standing ovation.