Tilley the hero as last-gasp strike sees Crawley beat Colchester

It was a cagey match, with Crawley coming close when Omar Sowunmi sliced the ball onto his own post. Glenn Morris produced some good saves to keep the Reds alive, before substitute Tilley struck the winner with one of the last kicks of the game.

John Yems made two changes to the side defeated by Stevenage in midweek, as he handed starts to Ashley Nadesan and Jake Hesketh.

Crawley were given an early scare when Aramide Oteh caught Jack Powell in possession, before charging towards goal. Archie Davies put Oteh under just enough pressure to allow Glenn Morris to make a crucial challenge.

Jordan Maguire-Drew volleyed wide, before Harry Pell headed the ball forward towards Sowunmi, who couldn’t dig out a shot with his back to goal, as Morris made a block from close range.

Colchester were nearly outsmarted by a clever free-kick routine from Crawley, as Jake Hessenthaler teed up Powell, who sent a low drive wide, with the Colchester defenders all expecting Maguire-Drew to shoot.

Crawley were almost gifted the lead with a freak own-goal, when Powell’s free-kick delivery looked like being a routine clearance for Sowunmi, but the defender mistimed his clearance, with it clipping the outside of his own post.

In the second half Morris produced a brilliant save to keep the score level. Frank Nouble had a first effort blocked following a corner, before turning and firing a great shot towards the top corner from the edge of the box, but Morris got across to push the powerful effort away.

The Reds came desperately close to breaking the deadlock when Tom Nichols lifted the ball into the path of Nadesan in the box, who forced a good save from Dean Gerken on the stretch, with Tilley’s follow-up being blocked on the line.

Deep into added time Crawley finally found the deserved winner when some great play between Powell and Davies saw the ball worked into Nichols, whose inviting cutback was swept home by substituteTilley, in the 93rd minute. It was his first goal for the club, which earned Crawley their first league victory since January 2.

Crawley: Morris, Francomb, Dallison (Davies 5’), Powell, Nadesan, Nichols, Tunnicliffe, Craig, Hesketh (Matthews 62’), Maguire-Drew (Tilley 62’), Hessenthaler (Wright 85’)

Colchester: Gerken, Welch-Hayes, Smith, Sowunmi, Pell (Sarpong-Wiredu 30’), Oteh (Brown 65’), Harriott (Folivi 85’), Eastman, Poku (Chilvers 65’), Stevenson, Nouble