Crawley Town were beaten by high flying Crewe Alexandra at the Mornflake Stadium, losing out by a singal goal.
The Reds struggled to assert themselves in the opening ten minutes of today’s League Two clash. Crewe had most of the ball and looked like they were going to start fashioning opportunities to take the lead, but Crawley held on well.
Crewe’s momentum was slowed after Aaron Rowe put in a dangerous looking challenge on Klaidi Lolos, and the referee showed the Huddersfield loanee a yellow card on ten minutes. Two other yellow cards were brandished in the following five minutes and the pace of the game slowed right down.
The Reds best opportunity fell to Adam Campbell, who got a shot away off the back of a Tsaroulla cross, but his effort could only find Davies in the Crewe goal.
Crewe found themselves with a flurry of corners in the last five minutes of the first half but failed to convert any of the resulting chances. Elliot Nevitt should’ve put the hosts ahead with a back post header in injury time, but the striker failed to hit the target.
As the teams returned for the second half, neither team could take control of the game for the first 15 minutes, and it looked like the balance could swing either way.
Then, in the 61st minute, the Crawley defence failed to clear as Crewe substitute Lewis Billington held the ball on the left side of the Reds’ box. Billington managed to gain a yard of space and drilled a ball into the area, the chance fell for Adebisi who fired home to give the hosts the advantage.
Crewe looked as if they were going to double their lead when Shilow Tracey glided past the Crawley defence, but Dion Conroy managed to force the attacker wide, and his effort couldn’t find the target.
Crawley, not for lack of effort, still couldn’t find any opportunities to level the score line. Wright and Darcy had efforts from outside the area but they both sailed over the crossbar.
Deadline day arrival Jeremy Kelly made his debut for Crawley, and he showed some clever touches and interplay as the Reds hunted for an equaliser, but it wasn’t to be and Scott Lindsey’s team head home without a point to show, with Walsall up next at Broadfield on Tueaday evening.
REDS XI: Addai, Tsaroulla (Adeyemo, 75’), Maguire, Conroy ©, Ransom, Forster (J. Kelly, 70), Wright, L.Kelly , Lolos, Campbell (Darcy, 70’), Orsi
Attendance: 4,189 (118 away)
