Crawley Town 4, Morecambe 0: Reds run riot in second-half masterclass as they hammer Shrimps

Following a quiet first-half, George Francomb broke the deadlock with another long-range stunner before Max Watters headed in Crawley’s second.

The Reds played some excellent football throughout the second-half, and Watters added a third after poaching a poor back-pass.

Crawley’s afternoon was complete when Tyler Frost rolled in a fourth, his first goal for the club.

John Yems gave starts to Sam Matthews and Jack Powell, while Derek Adams named an unchanged Morecambe side as Crawley faced League Two’s early front-runners.

Aaron Wildig fired over after some brilliant footwork in a tight area on the edge of the Crawley box, before Tyler Frost sent a cross-shot just wide in an even start to the game.

The Shrimps created the first good chance to score when John O’Sullivan picked out Carlos Mendes Gomes with a dangerous in-swinging cross, but Mendes Gomes could only head over the bar under pressure.

The Reds also came close when Tom Nichols cut the ball back to Frost, who flashed another shot just wide.

Morecambe threatened again when Ryan Cooney charged into the penalty area, but his powerful effort was beaten away by Glenn Morris at the near post on the stroke of half-time.

Crawley got the breakthrough early in the second half when Max Watters cut the ball back to Sam Matthews, whose deflected shot fell kindly to George Francomb, who drilled a peach of a first-time effort in off the post to give the Reds the breakthrough in the 52nd minute.

And the Reds went on to double their lead soon after when Francomb flicked the ball through to Jack Powell on the right-side, whose inch-perfect cross found the head of Max Watters, who nodded into the bottom corner to score on his debut in the 67th minute.

Morecambe tried to find an instant reply when O’Sullivan’s cutback was fired inches over by Aaron Wildig before Cole Stockton sliced wide.

Moments later, it was 3-0 as a careless back pass was pounced on by Max Watters, who stroked past Jake Turner to get his second of the game on 71 minutes.

Crawley’s remarkable second-half performance almost got even better, as some excellent football saw the goal-scorers combine as Watters found Francomb with a low cross, but Francomb couldn’t poke past Turner from close range.

Morecambe caved in in the second half as the ball ran all the way through to Tyler Frost in the box, who turned and slid the ball into the bottom corner to make if 4-0 in the 77th minute.

And it was almost five as Jake Hessenthaler drilled the corner into Tarryn Allarakhia who powered his header onto the post, as Crawley outclassed the Shrimps with a second-half goal-fest.

Crawley: Morris, Doherty, Francomb, Powell (Ferguson 88’), Nadesan (Watters 45’), Frost, Nichols, Tunnicliffe, Matthews, Craig, Hessenthaler

Morecambe: Turner, Lavelle, Davis, Stockton (Knight-Percival 79’), Wildig , Mendes Gomes (McAlinden 68’), Kenyon (Songo’o 31’), O’Sullivan, Phillips, Cooney, Gibson

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