Crawley Town suffer a 3-0 defeat in their opening game against Grimsby Town
Crawley Town suffered a disappointing start to their 2025/26 League Two campaign with a 3–0 defeat away to Grimsby Town at Blundell Park.
Photo by GTFC via X
The Mariners got off to a flying start, taking the lead in the 10th minute after Jaze Kabia confidently converted from the penalty spot. The forward fired low into the bottom left corner following a hesitant challenge from Harvey Davies, who brought down Kieran Green inside the area.
Grimsby's relentless high press continued to cause problems throughout the first half, stifling Crawley's attempts to play out from the back. The Reds struggled to establish any rhythm in possession, frequently giving the ball away under pressure.
The hosts doubled their advantage on the half-hour mark when Cameron McJannet rose highest at the near post to glance a header past Davies following a well-worked set piece.
To compound Crawley's problems, Harry Forster, who started on the left wing, was forced off with an injury in the 37th minute, further disrupting an already disjointed first-half display. The visitors entered the break two goals down, with little to show in the attacking third.
After the interval, Crawley came out with more intent and looked marginally the better side in the opening exchanges of the second half. Reece Brown had a rare sight of goal but blazed his shot over the bar, failing to test Christy Pym in the Grimsby net.
Despite their improved start, Crawley were punished again in the 62nd minute when Evan Khouri intercepted a loose pass and rifled a low effort into the bottom corner from outside the box, sealing the win for the hosts.
Kabongo Tshimanga nearly pulled one back minutes later after latching onto a long ball from Jack Roles, but the striker's lobbed effort sailed wide of the target, summing up Crawley's lack of cutting edge on the day.
The only bright moment for the 221 travelling supporters came in the form of a debut for Fate Kotey, who had been announced as a Crawley player just before kick-off.
With six summer signings in the starting XI, Crawley looked disjointed and lacked cohesion.
Their inability to link up, keep possession, or create clear chances meant they were well beaten in their opening fixture and a performance that leaves plenty for Scott Lindsey and his side to reflect on ahead of next weekend when they welcome Newport County to the Broadfield Stadium.