Forest Green Rovers 2 Crawley Town 0: Red Devils fall to the Green Devils

First half goals by Reuben Reid and Christian Doidge handed Reds a 2-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers.
Crawley Town FC v Yeovil FC 02-09-17. Josh Yorwerth. Pic Steve Robards SR1720998 SUS-170209-164347001Crawley Town FC v Yeovil FC 02-09-17. Josh Yorwerth. Pic Steve Robards SR1720998 SUS-170209-164347001
Crawley Town FC v Yeovil FC 02-09-17. Josh Yorwerth. Pic Steve Robards SR1720998 SUS-170209-164347001

Reid gave the Forest Green the lead in the tenth minute when he prodded the ball past ‘keeper Glenn Morris from a ball by Dale Bennett from the right.

Doidge hit the post for the home side five minutes later.

Forest Green ‘keeper Brad Collins denied Reds’ skipper Jimmy Smith with a fine save.

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Doidge then increased the lead on 24 minutes from a cross by Dayle Grubb crossed which he stabbed home.

Crawley made one change to the team which beat Lincoln City 3-1 last weekend with Jordan Roberts replacing the injured Thomas Verheydt.

Crawley created a brilliant move on the counter-attack which ended with Karlan Ahearne-Grant blasting the ball against Bennett.

Reds head coach Harry Kewell made a substitution at half-time, bringing on Cedric Evina in place of Mark Randall.

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Smith had a dangerous shot deflected for a corner at the start of the second half as Reds tried to pull a goal back.

Grubb hit the post for Forest Green before Morris gathered the ball at the second attempt after spilling a shot by Bennett.

Josh Yorwerth kept Reds in the game when he made a brilliant sliding clearance in the line for a corner after Reid’s header cannoned off the post before returning to him for a second attempt.

Kewell made his second substitution when he brought on Aryan Tajbakhsh for Josh Doherty.

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Tajbakhsh fired over the bar with his left foot as Crawley went on the attack.

Finally Boldewijn fired straight into the hands of Collins after a burst of pace down the wing as Reds suffered a disappointing visit to Gloucestershire.

Crawley Town: Morris, Smith (capt), Yorwerth, Connolly, Grant, Roberts, Doherty (Tajbakhsh 70), Randall (Evina 46), Payne, Boldewijn, Young

Unused subs: Mersin Bulman, Lelan, McNerney, Sanoh

Forest Green Rovers: B.Collins, Bennett, Grubb, Doidge, Gunning (capt), Rawson, Clements (L.Collins 72), Reid, Bray (Wishart 62), Hollis, Osbourne

Unused subs: Belford, Laird, Simpson, Campbell, Brown

Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire)

Attendance: 2,346 (243 away)