Crawley Town 2-0 Swindon Town: Player ratings - Star man earns a nine as two long-range strikes seal win in Matthew Etherington's first game
The home side struggled to convert their goal-scoring opportunities - and looking to be heading for a second successive goalless draw at home – but rallied late on to seal a vital win.
Here’s how we rated the Reds:
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Hide AdEllery Balcombe: 7 – Had very little to do in the first half as Swindon were unable to register a single shot on target but was a vital part in Crawley not conceding in the second half.
Nick Tsaroulla – 8: Excellent strike from the fullback to score the winner on the edge of the box. Very energetic running up and down the left side for the full 90. Defensively, was not at his best but in terms of attacking, he was creating chances but were unable to be converted.
Joel Lynch - 9: Excellent performance as always from the centre back. Very strong in the air and was unfortunate not to pick himself up a goal after he put the ball in the back of the net in the 21st minute after a corner but was ruled out for offside. Yet another man of the match performance.
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Hide AdLudwig Francillette – 8: Great set up at the back between himself and Lynch. Won all of his aerial duels and performed well to prevent Swindon from scoring.
George Francomb – 6: Fairly solid performance from the captain and was good going forward but was caught lacking sometimes as Swindon were able to find a lot of space down their left wing.
Jake Hessenthaler – 5: Very quiet game for the midfielder as he never really got into it. Was unable to create many chances for the forwards. Something he will be frustrated about.
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Hide AdJack Powell – 8: Absolute screamer from just inside the Swindon half as he doubled Crawleys lead in a well earned victory. Was fairly poor in the first half after making a few passing errors but made up for it with a 50 yard goal.
Teddy Jenks – N/A: Was unable to get into the game and went down injured after only seven minutes and subbed off for James Tilley.
James Balagizi - 7: Excellent return from injury for the Liverpool loanee as he controlled the game for the 52 minutes that he was on the pitch and is showing great potential for the rest of the season.
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Hide AdDom Telford – 5: Was unable to get into the game, had a few chances blocked and saved but was unfortunate to not be able to convert. Still struggling to fit into the Crawley side after an outstanding previous campaign.
Ashley Nadesan – 5: Played the full 90 minutes but was rarely a danger to the opposition. Found himself in a few great positions that created goal scoring opportunities but nothing came from them.
Substitutions:
James Tilley – 6: Came on early after Teddy Jenks went down injured and made an instant impact as he almost scored a minute after being on the pitch. Other than that, was solid in midfield but did nothing that stood out.