Reds held promotion-chasing Mansfield to a 0-0 draw in a lively Sky Bet League 2 affair at The People's Pension Stadium on Tuesday night.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between with Matty Willock, twice, Ollie Palmer and Lewis Young going closest for Reds.
At the other end Crawley again defended solidly although Mansfield nearly snatched victory in the 89th minute when Tyler Walker headed against the post.
Crawley stay in 18th place ahead of Saturday's trip to Crewe Alexandra.
Gabriele Cioffi made one change to the side that had beaten Grimsby on Saturday, with Josh Payne restored to midfield in place of Dannie Bulman who dropped to the bench.
Alex MacDonald dragged his shot wide inside 30 seconds for Mansfield during a lively opening from both sides which saw midfielder Willock clear the bar by inches from 20 yards for the hosts.
Clear-cut chances were rare all evening but the visitors squandered two of the best of them in the space of 60 seconds. CJ Hamilton saw an angled drive miss the target by inches on 28 minutes then Hamilton played Tyler Walker in, but Glenn Morris made a superb save to deny the Stags’ top scorer.
Mansfield keeper Conrad Logan was called into serious action for the first time six minutes before the break when he pushed out a shot from ex-Stag Palmer and then showed outstanding reflexes to block a follow-up drive by Young which had zipped across the turf from the right-hand side.
Midfielder Jorge Grant often looked the player most likely to unlock the home defence and it needed a great block by George Francomb to deny him 12 yards out in first-half stoppage time.
The second period was a cagier affair. Reds had plenty of possession, but Mansfield carried a threat on the counter. Crawley got better the longer it went on and Logan was almost surprised by Willock’s volley from distance in the 76th minute.
Substitute Filipe Morais tested the keeper with a low drive, but Walker had the best chance of winning it when his glancing header hit the post a minute from time after Gethin Jones picked him out with a cross from the right and the ball rebounded into Morris’s grateful grasp.
Grant’s stoppage-time free kick looped wide via a Crawley boot and on a night when there was little between the teams it was only right that it finished all square.
Crawley Town: Morris, Francomb, McNerney, Dallison, Young, Payne (Bulman 66), Camara (Morais 75), Willock, Sesay, Grego-Cox, Palmer. Unused subs: Mersin, German, Meite, N’Gala.
Attendance: 1909 (219 Mansfield)
Referee: Lee Collins (Surrey)
Man of the match (chosen by Ryan Canter Club): Joe McNerney
Pictured: Ollie Palmer tests the Mansfield defence. Photo by James Boardman
