Pompey 3 Reds 0: Crawley overwhelmed by Portsmouth

Crawley Town suffered their second successive league defeat as they fell 3-0 away to Portsmouth.
Portsmouthâ¬"s Curtis Main celebrates scoring his first goal of the match during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Portsmouth and Crawley Town at Fratton Park, Portsmouth, England on 3 September 2016. Photo by Joe Pepler/Digital South. PPP-160309-152300006Portsmouthâ¬"s Curtis Main celebrates scoring his first goal of the match during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Portsmouth and Crawley Town at Fratton Park, Portsmouth, England on 3 September 2016. Photo by Joe Pepler/Digital South. PPP-160309-152300006
Portsmouthâ¬"s Curtis Main celebrates scoring his first goal of the match during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Portsmouth and Crawley Town at Fratton Park, Portsmouth, England on 3 September 2016. Photo by Joe Pepler/Digital South. PPP-160309-152300006

A terrible start by the Reds led to three first half goals by Pompey which sealed a comfortable victory.

Two were netted by Curtis Main and the other by Gary Roberts.

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Dermot Drummy made two changes from the side which lost last weekend against Notts County.

Portsmouthâ¬"s Curtis Main scores his second goal of the match during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Portsmouth and Crawley Town at Fratton Park, Portsmouth, England on 3 September 2016. Photo by Joe Pepler/Digital South. PPP-160309-155929006Portsmouthâ¬"s Curtis Main scores his second goal of the match during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Portsmouth and Crawley Town at Fratton Park, Portsmouth, England on 3 September 2016. Photo by Joe Pepler/Digital South. PPP-160309-155929006
Portsmouthâ¬"s Curtis Main scores his second goal of the match during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Portsmouth and Crawley Town at Fratton Park, Portsmouth, England on 3 September 2016. Photo by Joe Pepler/Digital South. PPP-160309-155929006

Adi Yussuf replaced Billy Clifford as the central attacking midfielder and centre back came in for Joe McNerney who like Clifford was on the bench.

Josh Payne was named as substitute having recovered from injury.

Portsmouth made just one chance from the line up whicg beat Exetrer City 1-0 with right back Gareth Evans replacing Drew Talbot who had a strained hamstring.

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Reds had the first chance of the game when Enzio Boldewijn did a one-two with James Collins who narrowly dragged his shot wide.

Despite this, Portsmouth took no time at all in establishing a 2-0 lead which with the massive home support was going to be hard to come back from.

Pompey took the lead in the eighth minute when Enda Stevens ran to the byline and cut the ball back for Main to head the home side into the lead.

The hosts then made it 2-0 after only 12 minutes when Danny Rose won the ball off Alex Davey and passed to Roberts to score from 12 yards.

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Milan Lalkovic’s run and shot from the left was stopped by keeper Mersin but the ball was pushed into the path of Curtis Main for a tap-in goal.

Just before half-time Crawley gamely looked to attack, with Blackman finding Jason Banton, whose corss was too strong for Collins.

Then Rreds had a chance created by good play from Banton and Collins, only for the move to be cleared by Christian Burgess.

Drummy made a double substitution just after the start of the second half with Josh Payne and Chris Arthur coming on for Josh Yorwerth and Chris Arthur in midfield and left back.

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Crawley made a third substitution later with the energetic Bobson Bawling replacing Yussuf.

And he watsted no time in getting into the thick of the action as moments later his effort was blocked and Jimmy Smith then fired straight at keeper David Forde.

In the closing stages Carl Baker made a good turn and shot wide for Portsmouth as Crawley found it difficult to make much impression at the other end.

REDS: Mersin, Young, Davey, Connolly, Boldewijn, Smith (capt), Banton, Blackman (Arthur 53), Yorwerth (Payne 53), Collins, Yussuf (Bawling 68)

Subs: Beeney, Clifford, Tajbakhsh, McNerney

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POMPEY: Forde, Davies, Stevens, Rose, Burgess, Baker, Doyle (capt), Lalkovic (M Smith 81), Roberts (Naismith 70), Main (Chaplin 65), Evans

Subs: O’Brien, Clarke, Hunt, Linganzi

REFEREE: Ben Toner

ATTENDANCE: 16,347 (435 away)

Man of the Match: Milan Lalkovic (Portsmouth)

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