Crawley Town 1–2 Newport County: Missed Chances Prove Costly for the Reds

Crawley Town's hunt for their first points of the season goes on after a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Newport County at the Broadfield Stadium.

Photo by Natalie Mayhew-Butterfly Football

The Reds started on the front foot with Ade Adeyemo in for the injured Harry Forster proving a constant menace. He forced Nick Tzanev into a routine save before seeing another effort tipped over the bar.

Crawley's pressure was relentless but Newport's back line held firm. Two penalty appeals were waved away, one for a suspected handball and another after Kabby Tshimanga was wrestled in the box, while Gavan Holohan blazed over from a promising position.

The visitors, sitting deep, offered little threat but nearly stole the lead before the break when Harry Whitmore's curling effort forced a sharp diving save from Harvey Davies.

Goalless at half-time, Crawley had the upper hand but nothing to show for it.

They came out after the restart with the same attacking intent yet still could not find a way past Tzanev. Adeyemo's header from a corner almost broke the deadlock before Tshimanga missed the game's golden chance, rounding the keeper but blazing over an open net. Barker then nodded just wide as the home crowd sensed a breakthrough.

Instead, the sucker punch came. On 69 minutes, Whitmore slipped between two defenders, rounded Davies and rolled the ball into an empty net. Two minutes later, Liam Shephard doubled the lead, punishing Crawley's wastefulness.

Conroy's curling free kick almost offered hope and substitute Max Anderson pulled one back in stoppage time, but it was too little and too late.

The result leaves Crawley 23rd in League Two ahead of only Barnet and ruing a match they should have killed off long before Newport struck.