RED DEVILS CELEBRATE TROPHY TRIUMPH
Crawley Town produced an excellent away victory in the FA Trophy first round on Saturday, reaching the last 32 with a 2-0 success at fellow Conference club Stevenage Borough.

The home side had surprisingly been made favourites to win the competition by the bookmakers, but they were always on the back foot and first-half goals by Simon Wormull and Steve Burton put Crawley into the hat for Monday’s second-round draw.

Town boss John Hollins was missing two key men for the game, with striker Daryl Clare and defender David Woozley ruled out with injuries. Hollins opted to pair Tris Whitman with Steve Burton up front, while Danny Brown started at left-back, where he had finished the previous Saturday’s league victory over Tamworth, with Chris Giles replacing Woozley.

Crawley made a bright start against a Borough side who were not at full strength either, but did contain star names George Boyd and Anthony Elding, plus ex-Red Justin Gregory.

The visitors were creating shooting opportunities, but being wayward with their finishing but made the breakthrough when a Wormull free-kick from the left flank curled past Shane Gore in the home goal with none of the scrum of players in the middle apparently able to get a touch.

That goal warmed up the travelling Reds contingent on a freezing Hertfordshire afternoon, but Hollins was soon forced to make his first change as midfielder Paul Armstrong limped off to be replaced by Lee Blackburn.

And the Red Devils doubled their advantage in first-half added time when Burton was sent clear and beat Gore confidently.

The Reds emerged for the second half at Broadhall Way with another line-up change. Ben Judge failed to reappear and sub Sacha Opinel came on to play on the left of midfield with Neil Jenkins switching to the unusual position of right-back for the second 45 minutes.

Crawley had chances to extend their advantage, with Whitman, Burton and right winger Tony Scully all threatening, while the defence kept their shape well as Stevenage finally began to put some decent forward moves together, but keeper Phil Smith made a couple of superb saves to keep the Reds’ third clean sheet in a week.

Crawley Town: Smith, Judge (Opinel), Brown, Giles, Simpemba, Jenkins, Scully, Wormull (Grant), Armstrong (Blackburn), Whitman, Burton. Unused subs: Ward, Mendy.