Fleetwood 1 Crawley Town 0: Reds crash to bottom of table

By Rob Stocks
Darren Ward heads clear for Crawley Town. Picturematt Photography SUS-150119-162637002Darren Ward heads clear for Crawley Town. Picturematt Photography SUS-150119-162637002
Darren Ward heads clear for Crawley Town. Picturematt Photography SUS-150119-162637002

Antoni Sarcevic’s free-kick settled a scrappy affair as Crawley fell to the bottom of the League One table.

The result extended Reds’ winless league run to 13 games.

Crawley started the brighter in what proved a poor first half.

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Interim manager Dean Saunders made one change to the starting XI, Lewis Young replaceing Gavin Tomlin with Reds expected to line up 4-5-1.

There were places on the bench for goalkeeper Scott Dutton and striker Dean Morgan, who both joined the Reds on loan this week.

In Gwion Edwards Crawley had a lively midfield influence and in Lewis Young they had a man willing to harry Fleetwood down the left flank.

But for all their early pressure the visitors couldn’t really find a way to test Chris Maxwell in the Fleetwood goal.

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Even when the hosts invited the Red Devils forward they couldn’t take advantage, Edwards driving through the middle but frustrated by a last minute Mark Roberts block.

Crawley gradually retreated, choosing to sit deep and try to use the pace of Young on the break.

It was a strategy which played into Fleetwood’s hands, only the hosts’ poor touch around the box keeping Crawley keeper Lewis Price out of work.

Antoni Sarcevic looked the danger man, twice pulling efforts out of the hat which did draw saves from Price.

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The second, a stinging volley from 10 yards could have produced an opener, Price diving to tip over when he looked beaten.

Sarcevic deserved a reward and got it before the break.

Former Crawley man Jamie Proctor took an elbow from Marvin Elliott as he tracked across the 18-yard line.

Up stepped Sarcevic, drilling a free-kick under wall and keeper, a poor goal for Crawley to concede at the end of a poor half.

The home side could have doubled their advantage within minutes of the restart, Jeff Hughes getting a clean head on a Josh Morris corner but unable to guide it under the bar.

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But Crawley came back into it, forcing the issue and taking more advantage of a nervous home side.

A second from Sarcevic might have settled the nerves, the midfielder beating Price to a long ball over the top, his lob coming back off the woodwork.

Proctor could have settled matters with four minutes to go, winning the ball in central midfield and charging into the box, his shot just tipped wide by Price.

But it was sub Steven Schumacher who secured the points for Fleetwood, clearing off the line from a late corner with Chris Maxwell stranded.

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REDS: Price; Oyebanjo, Ward, Walsh, Dickson; Young, Wordsworth, Smith, Elliott, Edwards; McLeod. Subs: Dutton, Bradley, Bawling, Anderson, Morgan, Harrold, Tomlin.

FLEETWOOD: Maxwell, McLaughlin, Roberts, Evans, Hughes, Morris, Sarcevic, Proctor, Jordan, McAlinden, Crainey. Subs: Davies, Murdoch, Pond, Schumacher, Dobbie, Ball, Haughton.

REFEREE: Seb Stockbridge

ATTENDANCE: 2,601 (95 away)

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