Crawley Town's winless run in League Two stretched to five games after a 2-1 defeat away to leaders Salford City on Saturday. Macaulay Langstaff's double for the hosts proved decisive, despite a spirited second-half response from the Reds.
Langstaff opened the scoring in the 17th minute, volleying home from close range after a cross from Kallum Cesay. He doubled Salford's lead five minutes after the restart with a composed finish into the bottom corner from inside the box. Crawley halved the deficit just before the hour mark when Dylan Morgan found the net with a left-footed finish.
Goalkeeper Vito Mannone made several important saves, including an outstanding stop to deny Langstaff a hat-trick with 15 minutes remaining. Captain Jude Arthurs grew into the game after the break, starting to zip passes around and drive the team forward as Crawley enjoyed more possession.
Defender Lewis Richards was given a tough time up against Salford's Molyneux and found himself outnumbered defensively with Cesay influential down that flank, though he did provide a decent threat.
The result leaves Crawley Town 24th in the League Two table with just five points from their opening nine matches, a record of one win, two draws and six losses. They are now 17 points behind Salford City at the summit. Scott Lindsey's side have conceded 17 goals this season while scoring only nine, giving them a goal difference of minus eight, the second-worst defensive record in the division.
Crawley must regroup quickly for their next fixture, a home game against 14th-placed Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night. This follows a recent run of one win, one draw and three losses from their last five outings, which included a 2-2 draw with Chesterfield and a 4-0 victory over Bromley before losses to Milton Keynes Dons, Grimsby and Cheltenham.
Morgan, described as "Crawley’s most inspirational player during the game" for his goal and overall play, will be key to any turnaround. The Reds' recent form shows one win, one draw and three losses from their last five outings.
The original report is at SussexWorld
