MATCH REPORT: Crawley

It was the long trip south of London to Crawley for the Blues on Saturday afternoon.

There was just one change from the home victory over Colchester last weekend with Joel Senior in for Jack Ellis.

There was good pressure from the away team early in the day as the ball was rattled forward to Garner. He swept a pass towards Senior, and a hurried backpass was quickly cleared. Carlisle stayed forward with Senior on the overlap, and his delivery was put behind. The corner was half cleared and Guy's return pass was marshalled away.

Neat football on the right flank saw Garner and Patrick keep it in a tight spot, and Senior was once again the outlet. His cross was put behind. Garner met the Moxon inswinger at the front post but it looped high and dropped wide.

Lovely football on the halfway line from Patrick and Moxon saw them come away from two red shirts with the ball at their feet. McCalmont took over, and he fed it on the ground towards Garner. The striker had space to exploit, which he did, but he lost his footing just as he shaped to strike. 

Crawley showed on nine minutes with space and time on the left. Fellows dropped a shoulder, and a deflected pass invited Kellan Gordon to volley. Holy pulled it into his chest.

A sliced connection from Guy in the home half suddenly sparked an attack as Nadesan was left to run clear. He angled for the box, but Mellish did enough to get in the way. The corner was nodded wide by Roles.

Dominant United took the lead on 15 minutes with some fantastic play from Mellish tight by the touchline. He controlled a difficult ball, stepped foward and sent a beauty of a delivery into the box. Joel Senior thundered his way into the area to get there with a diving header, and he left the keeper with no chance as power and accuracy sent it into the top corner.

The lead was doubled five minutes later with a passage of devastating play. The Blues took control in the middle of the park and Patrick pulled off a shoulder to offer an option. Moxon slid it through, and the forward kept his effort low as he drilled it under the helpless keeper. 

Guy was excellent inside his own box as he twice blocked, with the Red Devils trying to make a mark, and that provided a springboard for United's third of the afternoon.

It was all about Owen Moxon, as he danced into the box, skipped past challenge after challenge, and then clipped it over Schofield with his left boot. The visiting fans behind the goals literally couldn't believe their eyes.

There was more intricate stuff from Patrick and McCalmont as they exchanged clips off their boots, and the resulting corner from Armer was nodded just the wrong side of the upright by Huntington.

Patrick was then just as close when he arrowed another run into the box. He kept it low, but it shaved the woodwork on its way behind.

Goal number four came from a teaser of a free kick after Garner had been felled. Moxon dropped it towards the back stick and skipper Morgan Feeney stabbed it home at the second attempt.

Garner overturned possession right at the start of the second period and his run forward eventually earned a free kick when he was felled 28-yards out. Moxon went for it, but it dipped over the bar.

But it was Crawley who gave themselves hope after a quickly taken throw put Powell into the box. His shot was blocked by Feeney, but it ricocheted out for Tsaroulla to hit. He miscued, but substitute Aramide Oteh was there to divert it over the line.

A run of corners for the Blues saw Garner get on the end of one of them, and an acrobatic save from Schofield put it over the bar. It was sent back in and Huntington thought he'd scored wwith a deft header until the keeper stopped it on the line. Mellish stuck a boot out to finish it off.

Patrick was clean through as Carlisle broke with pace again, and he dropped a shoulder to look for the top corner as he reached the edge of the box. The stopper was relieved to see it go wide.

A misplaced backpass from Conroy gave Patrick another chance to open his legs, and he found McCalmont, who was up in support. A great tackle from Lynch spared more home blushes.

Tenacity from Dennis saw him ride a tackle to get himself into the area as United once again forged through. Schofield stayed big and he was able to parry with both hands.

Carlisle had late defending to do, but there seemed to be an away shirt in the right place at the right time whenever it was needed.

The predatory Dom Telford added a second for the hosts with four minutes left to play, when he connected at close range after an initial effort from Powell had been smothered, but the ruthless Cumbrians were left to celebrate a comfortable win in front of over 500 travelling supporters.

They almost had a sixth to add to the tally in time added on, when Gordon showed strength to get away with the ball. He lost his footing on the poor surface when he tried to angle it at the bottom corner.

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Goals

Crawley Town - Oteh (59), Telford (86)

Carlisle United - Senior (15), Patrick (20), Moxon (26), Feeney (38), Mellish (57)

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Bookings

Crawley Town - Moxon (66)

Carlisle United - Telford (60)

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Teams

Crawley Town - K Gordon, Conroy, Lynch, Powell (Mason 90), Nadesan, Francillette (Oteh 29), Telford (c), Tsaroulla, Roles (Khaleel 58), Fellows. Subs - Addai (gk), Ransom, Spong, Ogungbo.

Carlisle United - Holy, Feeney (c), Huntington, Mellish, Senior (Whelan 82), McCalmont (Gibson 74), Guy, Moxon (Harris 74), Armer, Patrick (JK Gordon 66), Garner (Dennis 66). Subs - Kelly (gk), Robinson.

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Match officials

Referee: Paul Howard
Assistant 1: Dean Treleaven
Assistant 2: Scott Williams
Fourth Official: Paul Johnson

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Attendance - 2,970 (504)

Read Time: 5 mins