Yeovil Town 2 Crawley Town 1: Reds let slip lead

Reds let slip a 27th minute lead from a great goal by Izale McLeod.

But two goals in the last 23 minutes by Yeovil’s Gozie Ugwu and Ajay Leitch-Smith sealed the defeat.

The result meant Reds slid down a place to second to bottom because Leyton Orient’s game at Rochdale was postponed.

New signing Mathias Pogba received international clearance and made his debut for the Reds today for their League One visit to Yeovil Town.

He came in place of Lewis Young who was on the bench for the big clash against Crawley’s relegation rivals who are

Dean Leacock was not yet recovered from his groin injury, meaning Dean Saunders fielded an otherwise unchanged team.

Yeovil made early inroads with Ugwu being denied by a block by Darren Ward, then a ball across the area by Ajay Leitch-Smithwhich did not find a Glovers player.

After 20 minutes Crawley began to make an impression at the other end as McLeod managed a shot from a difficult angle on the right which was gathered easily.

McLeod soon had another chance to have a go when supplied from a run down the left by Gwion Edwards but he skied his shot well over the bar.

Reds took the lead with a breakaway attack in the 27th minute when Pogba crossed from the right and McLeod scored with a fine diving header for his 12th goal of the season.

Yeovil did not offer much more in the first half, their only chance being an effort by Ben Nugent which hit the side-netting.

Reds had one more chance to score before the break when Ryan Dickson crossed to Marvin Elliott who headed dangerously but the ball was caught by Yeovil keeper Artur Krysiak.

Crawley worked a great chance immediately after coming back for the second half with Jimmy Smith putting Gwion Edwards through for a shot but he hit it unconfidently straight at Krysiak.

This was to be the Welsh U21 international’s last involvement as he was soon to be replaced by Bobson Bawling.

Dean Saunders made a second substitution as he looked to push on for victory as last week’s match-winning hero Lee Fowler came on for the last half hour for Smith.

Yeovil then began to press forward in search of an equaliser but were denied by Lewis Price who grabbed Stephen Athurworrey’s header on the line.

Yeovil then made their possession in Crawley’s half tell by scoring a 67th minute equaliser. Samuel Foley whipped a free-kick into the area and Ugwu headed home.

The Glovers soon added a second goal to take the lead with 17 mi nutes to go when Leitch-Smith put away with a good finish after an initial attempt was blocked but not cleared.

REDS: Price, Oyebanjo, Dickson, Edwards (Bawling 55), Smith (Fowler 62), McLeod, Walsh, Ward, Wordsworth, Pogba Morgan 78), Elliott.

SUBS: Bradley, Morgan, Young, Bawling, Tomlin, Dutton

YEOVIL: Krysiak, N Smith, Edwards, Hayter, Leith-Smith, Foley, Moore, Nugent, Ugwu, Arthurworrey, Shephard

SUBS: Stewart, Bell, Hoskins, Twumasi, Loza, A Smith, Morgan

REFEREE: Patrick Miller

ATTENDANCE: 3,807 (201 away)