Salford City too strong for Crawley Town - as Reds stay rooted to bottom spot
Crawley Town slipped to another defeat, this time at the hands of the league leaders Salford City, as two goals from Macauley Langstaff secured the 2-1 win at the AIG Stadium – leaving them five points adrift at the bottom of League Two.
Dylan Morgan scored Crawley’s goal when they were 2-0 down but they could nor rescue a point.
Crawley made two changes, with Danilo Orsi dropping to the bench for Gianmarco Di Biase and Nathan Tinsdale coming in for the injured Akin Odimayo. Salford City also made two changes from their last game.
Crawley started well, but it was soon apparent why Salford were top of the table, as on five minutes, Langstaff headed a cross goalward, but it went just wide. A few minutes later, there was a nice passage of play by the Reds, but Dylan Morgan’s cross just flew over Stephen Duke-McKenna in the box.
That was the best Crawley could do in the first half. Luke Molyneux had plenty of joy against Lewis Richards on the left with two crosses in quick succession. The first forced Vito Mannone into a save, and the second one drifted over the bar.
Salford took the lead on 17 minutes after a Kallum Cesay cross found Langstaff free inside the six-yard box, and a player of that quality is not going to miss from that close. The Ammies continued to press, and the Reds just could not get a foothold in the half.
Dan Scarr headed a corner over the bar, and Langstaff had another header from close range, but it was straight at Mannone, with Crawley having no chances at all. Lewis Richards fought hard down the left to get the ball into the box, but nothing came of it, just as referee Scott Jackson blew for half-time.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first, as Salford came out looking to add to their lead. They did not have to wait long, as that man Langstaff again slotted home from inside the area on 50 minutes. The Reds lost the ball too easily, and Abraham Odoh slid a pass into the path of Cesay, who in turn found Langstaff for his second of the afternoon.
However, the same thing happened as last week, that second goal seemed to wake Crawley up. Morgan pulled one back on 59 minutes after some neat passing between Jude Arthurs and Morgan allowed Morgan to slot his shot past Will Norris from just outside the area.
Crawley continued to push on for an equaliser, with Osman Kamara, who came on for Di Biase, getting down the right flank. However, it was Salford who had the better chances, Cesay’s shot was half blocked by Charlie Barker, and into the hands of Mannone. Another second half substitute, Pele Arganese-McDermott, who came on for the injured Priestley Farquharson, was bundled off the ball too easily by Langstaff on the edge of the area, but that was straight at Mannone to save well.
Crawley still had a few chances, and the best of those chances came right at the end of the game, as Jude Arthurs headed straight at Norris in the Salford goal.
Crawley are next in action at home against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday (20th) and then again at home against Tranmere Rovers the following Saturday (24th).