Crawley Town’s unbeaten run at home continued with a comfortable victory over Oldham Athletic.
Ricardo German marked his first league start this season with a goal in the first half, finding the bottom corner after good work from Ashley Nadesan.
Nadesan has now scored three goals in as many games, when he doubled Crawley’s lead with a delicate chip.
Bez Lubala scored his twelfth goal of the season, sending Zeus de la Paz the wrong way from the spot to wrap up a productive afternoon for the Reds.
John Yems made two changes from their draw away at Exeter last weekend, as Nathan Ferguson replaced Dannie Bulman while Ricardo German came in for Reece Grego-Cox.
Oldham should have led when Genaro Nepomuceno showed excellent skill to beat Josh Doherty, before finding Zachery Dearnley in the box, who fired wide from close range in an open start to the match.
The Latics were then so close to scoring again when Dearnley darted into the box and saw his initial effort well stopped by Glenn Morris, who also kept out Dearnley’s follow up with a brilliant second save.
And soon after it was the Reds who had a great chance to score when Bez Lubala found Ashley Nadesan with a low cross, but Nadesan somehow couldn’t convert on the stretch, firing wide with the goal gaping.
It was Crawley who eventually made their chances count when Nadesan held the ball up well before finding Ricardo German in acres of space. German checked inside and found the bottom corner to mark his first league start with a goal in the 36th minute.
Nepomuceno cause more problems for the Reds as he cut inside and tried his luck with a curling effort from distance, but Morris was there to push the shot away.
The Reds could have doubled their lead early in the second half when Nadesan got in behind the Latics’ defence, but he was thwarted by Zeus de la Paz before he could either shoot or play in German.
Crawley produced a great second half performance, and got a goal to show for it on the 70th minute when Tarryn Allarakhia carried the ball all the way from his own half on the counter, before freeing Nadesan, who produced a cool finish, chipping the ball over de la Paz to double the Reds’ lead.
Crawley won a penalty soon after when Lubala was clamped by Mohamed Sylla in the box, and it was Lubala who took the spot kick, confidently rolling in on 76 minutes, as Oldham caved in late on.
Crawley Town: Morris, Doherty, Nadesan, Ferguson (Powell 56’), German (Allarakhia 62’), Francomb, Sesay (Camara 84’), Tunnicliffe, Sendles-White, Dacres-Cogley, Lubala
Attendance: 2,037 (186 Oldham)
Report by Coren Blackburn
