Goalless at the Checkatrade Stadium as Crawley stay ninth
Reds were held to a 0-0 draw by a lively Accrington side at the Checkatrade Stadium.
The match was evenly contested, with both sides having a fair number of opportunities to find the net, however neither could manage to get the crucial goal.
Head coach Dermot Drummy made two changes to the side that lost at Cheltenham last week, as Andre Blackman returned from suspension to replace Chris Arthur at left back and Jason Banton made way for Bobson Bawling.
Just four minutes in and the home side had a great chance to take the lead, but were foiled by Accrington keeper Elliot Parish.
Billy Clifford played a nicely weighted pass down the right side for Enzio Boldewijn to chase, the wide man delivered a flat cross to the near post for James Collins whose deft attempt was saved well by Parish.
Moments later the visitors had a chance of their own, as Terry Gornell latched onto a cross at the back post, but Glenn Morris was there to deny him.
Five minutes later Crawley had another scare, as Andre Blackman appeared to haul Gornell to the ground inside the box, but the referee wasn’t convinced.
Lewis Young was making his 100th appearance for the club and was involved in a great move 17 minutes in.
Kaby Djalo spread the play out to Young, the right back played a one-two with Billy Clifford freeing himself in the box before he pulled the ball back to Boldewijn, but his shot was blazed over the bar.
Drummy’s men then rode a period of pressure from the away side, who came close on a couple of occasions, once following a penalty box scramble and then from a 20-yard Matty Pearson strike, which was deflected wide.
The Reds then resettled and had another good chance, as Bobson Bawling took on his man down the left, beat him for pace and cut the ball back for Collins, but his strike was straight at the keeper.
The restart saw an early warning for the visitors when Mark Connolly found himself on the right flank after some neat link up play, before he slid a cute pass inside for Boldewijn, whose shot across goal went the wrong side of the post.
As both sides battled for supremacy, Accrington had their first second-half sniff of goal, with frontman Gornell driving a shot from the edge of the box, but Morris got down to his right to keep him out.
Two minutes later skipper Jimmy Smith led by example, as he was on hand to clear Omar Beckles’ goal-bound header off the line, following a corner.
Before the Reds back line could breathe, the ball was back in their six-yard box and it ricocheted around the goal mouth as some poor finishing and last-ditch defending somehow kept the ball out – close call.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, Crawley were dealt a blow as Connolly was forced off through injury and replaced by Alex Davey.
Adi Yussuf also entered the fray, with Boldewijn being the man withdrawn.
The game went flat for the next ten minutes, with the most notable opportunity coming from Accrington, as Pearson marauded down the left side and into the box, however his effort trickled past the far post.
Late on Reds were again forced into a substitution, with Aryan Tajbakhsh coming on for Bawling, who had pulled up with cramp.
In the end neither side could break the deadlock, and the Reds came away with a point which leaves them in ninth place as they head to Carlisle next week for what will be a tough game against a side yet to lose this season.
