HOLLINS: WE MUST BUILD ON THIS
Crawley boss John Hollins wants his side to use Saturday's home victory over Scarborough as a springboard to safety in the Conference this season.

“We need to keep winning now, to make sure there's not even a sniff of a suggestion that we could go down by the time we get to the last couple of games.

“We know they can play but it's all about confidence and we already looked better on that front in the second half.

“If the players performed like that every week they wouldn't be in this division, they'd be in the one above. For now we'll have to settle for making sure we stay in this division.”

Hollins was pleased that his change of role for winger Tony Scully, who sat in between midfield and attack, has paid off.

“We set up differently to try to get Tony in there to upset their defence and he did well.

The first half was a bit frustrating until we got the goal and in the second half they concentrated well on what they were supposed to do.”

Hollins said that initial reports suggest he will be without striker Gavin Gordon for at least two weeks after he picked up an early knee injury, but the Crawley boss was pleased with the display of his replacement, Omari Coleman, who scored the second goal.

“Omari looked very sharp, as he has done in training, and as he did against QPR Reserves in midweek. Steve Burton was excellent, holding the ball up well, taking the kicks as a striker should and they looked like a good combination.”

Hollins again praised the squad for concentrating on the job despite the club's off-the-field concerns.

“A lot of credit goes to the players. At the moment we are taking each day at a time. The players have had meetings to educate each other on what can be done and some of them have learned a lot about how football clubs are run.

“They stuck to their task and played professionally. They know the effort has to be put in once you cross that line.”

Hollins confirmed that there had been interest in former skipper Ian Simpemba, who has not been in the matchday squad for the last three games.

“There have been a couple of enquiries, but what happens next is up to Ian and those other clubs. They are all in the same situation but I wouldn't like to lose anyone. We have a big game on Wednesday (Sussex Senior Cup semi-final v Horsham) and an even bigger one next Saturday.

“Forest Green won't be easy. They have big Julian Alsop up front, who I managed at Swansea and he will make our job difficult, but our whole defence played well today and if we have to have the same week as last week next week I hope it ends in the same way – with three more points.”  

WIN LIFTS CRAWLEY
The Reds shrugged off their off-the-field worries to score an important home Conference victory over Scarborough on Saturday and lift themselves out of the relegation zone.

After their unfortunate 1-0 reverse to league leaders Accrington seven days earlier, the Red Devils matches their work-rate from that game and were rewarded against a Seadogs side who ended up well beaten as the Reds celebrated goals by Tony Scully and sub Omari Coleman.

A day after it was confirmed that top scorer Daryl Clare had left the club, Crawley boss John Hollins will have been delighted to see his side find the net twice, although the margin could have been wider.

With more home games against fellow strugglers Forest Green and poor travellers Cambridge to come on the next two Saturdays, Crawley's form at Broadfield Stadium in March could go a long way to deciding their fate.

The Reds kept up their excellent record against the other teams scrapping it out at the bottom. This was their fourth win in four against the current bottom six sides in Sussex , with nine goals scored and none conceded.

In Clare's absence, striker Gavin Gordon returned to the side after illness and though the midfield four was the same, Scully was given a free role in front of Lee Blackburn, Paul Armstrong and Danny Clay in what was effectively a 4-3-1-2 formation.

This tactical change by Hollins paid off, with a much brighter display from the erstwhile winger, who popped up on both flanks and gave Scarborough the problem of deciding who to detail to track the lively former Notts County man.

The back four of Ben Judge, Chris Giles, Leo Mendy and Danny Brown continued in solid form and the Reds' record of conceding only four goals in their last six games is as good as any team in the division.

David McNiven got a shot in for Scarborough in the first minute but after that the home side dominated the first half, although they were made to wait for their goal.

Scully was involved in a patient build-up in the ninth minute which ended with Scarborough keeper Ian Dunbavin spilling then pouncing on Blackburn's long shot and ten minutes later, Steve Burton – who clearly still had a point to prove against his former club – turned and smashed a stinging volley from distance that the keeper did well to palm over.

The opener looked on the cards two minutes later as Gordon broke free on the right side of the penalty area after a clever ball over the top from Clay, but just as he shaped to shoot his knee appeared to give way and he was replaced by Coleman shortly afterwards.

The former Lincoln striker didn't have to wait long for his first opportunity as he flashed a diving header wide after 42 minutes from a curling Judge cross.

A minute later the Reds' pressure paid off and a long Armstrong throw into the box saw the ball drop for Scully ten yards out and he made no mistake, thumping a fierce right-footed volley into the roof of the net.

The second half began with the Reds still in control and Coleman had another header wide before Seadogs player-boss Neil Redfearn made a double switch, bringing on Lee Fowler and Tony Hackworth.

The pattern of play was still the same, though, and Crawley had a penalty shout turned down after an excellent build-up ended with Coleman looking to have been bundled over in the box as he struggled to extricate the ball from under his feet.

It was Scarborough who looked the more frustrated, though, and Chris Hughes was again lucky to escape a yellow card after dumping Scully to the turf, having earlier escaped for two hard fouls on Judge.

The Seadogs woke Phil Smith from his slumbers as the Crawley keeper was forced to save well down low from skipper Denny Ingram's header at a right-wing corner but more lenient refereeing then saw visiting boss Redfearn escape without punishment for what some home fans considered could even have been a red-card challenge, late and from behind, on Blackburn.

Burton 's weak effort was cleared off the line after 74 minutes but the Reds continued to press and two minutes later they made the game safe with a second goal. From a left-side corner Burton and Mendy both had shots blocked before Coleman hammered his shot into the roof with even more ferocity than Scully's first goal.

All that was left was the surprising revelation that referee Nick Kinseley actually had his cards with him, as Redfearn finally earned a caution in added time for kicking sub Neil Jenkins up in the air.

With Saturday's opponents Forest Green losing at home to bottom side Southport, Crawley have an ideal chance to further enhance their survival chances at Broadfield Stadium next Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Result: Saturday 11th March (Nationwide Conference)
Crawley Town 2 (Scully, Coleman)
Scarborough 0
Att: 1181
Crawley Town: Smith, Judge, Brown, Giles, Mendy, Armstrong, Clay, Blackburn, Scully (Jenkins 85), Burton , Gordon (Coleman 24).
Unused subs: Ward, Woozley, Opinel.

YOUTH TEAM NEWS
Crawley Town face Gravesend & Northfleet on Monday in the Conference Youth League.

The game will be played at Broadbridge Heath FC with a 2pm kick off. The ticket prices for the match are, Adult £5, Concessions £3, whilst it's free for Season Tickets Holders.