Crawley Town 0 Cheltenham Town 0: Reds held to home draw

Both sides had their chances to score but in the end the game finished all-square.

Cheltenham twice hit the post in the last few minutes and had a chance cleared off the line by Lewis Young at the start of the second half.

Matt Harrold had been named as a starter on the team-sheet for the first time since November but he got injured in the warm-up and was replaced by Dean Cox.

James Collins and Josh Yorwerth were both missing with suspensions.

Rhys Murphy started in Collins’ place while Jordan Roberts was named on the bench, returning to the match-day squad for the first time in two months.

Crawley went on the attack in the opening exchanges, with Murphy seeing a shot blocked and being denied by the visitors’ keeper Scott Brown from a Billy Clifford free-kick.

Young and Smith then combined with a quick throw but the skipper’s ensuing half-volley shot was held by Brown.

Cheltenham carved out two chances before half-time, Billy Waters and Danny Holman seeing the ball run across the face of goal but with no-one there to put it into the net.

Liam Davis then set-up Holman at the far post but he could not find the net.

The second half began with Young keeping his side level by clearing the ball from Pell off the line.

The Robins then pressed for a goal as Pell shot wide from the edge of the area.

Pell supplied Holman for his first for two chances in two minutes, firing narrowly wide of the right post.

In his second opportunity, Holman’s final shot went straight to keeper Glenn Morris, who saved with his legs.

Reds replaced Murphy with Roberts who played on the left flank, while Cox played on the right and Enzio Boldewijn moved up front.

The trio soon combined in a nice move but the ball was out of reach of Boldewijn.

Joe McNerney had an appeal for a penalty turned down, despite a ripped shirt incurred when he challenged for a corner.

Cheltenham’s Holman hit the post as they pushed forward in search of a winner, and they hit the woodwork again in the 90th minute when Pell’s free-kick found Kyle Storer, whose effort was deflected wide off the post as both sides had to settle for a point.

REDS: Morris, Young, Connolly (Lelan 80), McNerney, Blackman, Smith (capt), Djalo (Payne 73), Boldewijn, Clifford, Murphy (Roberts 60), Cox

Unused subs: Mersin, Garnett, Bawling

Cheltenham: Brown, Storer (capt), Pell, Waters Wright (Wooton 54), Boyle, Onariase, Winchester, Holman, Plavotic (Rowe 45), Davis

Unused subs: Lovett, Downs, Munns, Dayton, Bower

REFEREE: Charles Breakspear (Surrey)

ATTENDANCE: 2,008 (193 away)

MAN OF THE MATCH: Joe McNerney