BURTON BACKHEELS REDS TO ANOTHER WIN
A backheeled goal by striker Steve Burton was the unexpected highlight of a scrappy but vital victory for Crawley over relegation rivals Forest Green in the Conference at Broadfield Stadium on Saturday.

In a game of few chances, Burton coolly flicked the ball into the Rovers net from a yard out after 38 minutes and the solid Reds defence recorded another clean sheet as Crawley recorded back-to-back league victories for the first time this season.

Boss John Hollins started out with the same 4-3-1-2 formation that had worked well in the 2-0 win over Scarborough seven days earlier, with Omari Coleman, who scored the second goal against the Seadogs as a sub, starting in place of the injured Gavin Gordon, while defender Michael Bostwick, on loan from Millwall, was named on the bench.

The game was played in a blustery, biting cold wind and the Reds soon knew they were in for a physical test against a Rovers side who were big and strong in attack and defence.

The first real opportunity was not created until the 24 th minute, when Burton and Coleman combined on a counter-attack but Coleman was denied as he shaped to shoot. From the resulting corner, Leo Mendy turned and set up his defensive partner Chris Giles, whose effort bounced off the Rovers bar and was hacked away to safety.

The decisive goal came seven minutes before the break when Tony Scully was rewarded for getting in a testing cross and Coleman nudged the ball on for Burton , facing away from goal, to flick home between a sprawled keeper and defender.

Forest Green had the wind in their favour at the start of the second half, and a long punt from keeper Ryan Clarke caught a gust and sent Alex Meechan clear on the right after 54 minutes, but Mendy did well to intercept.

Crawley made their first change just after the hour mark as Neil Jenkins replaced Lee Blackburn on the left side of midfield but it was Green who threatened next as another long ball was laid back by Julian Alsop for Guy Madjo, but home keeper Phil Smith bravely thrust out his hand to divert the ball which Danny Clay removed from the danger area.

With 15 minutes left Mendy was incredibly booked for kicking the ball away when everyone in the ground except referee Ray Lee and his assistant thought the ball was both in play and on the pitch when the Frenchman launched it out for a throw-in.

The busy Paul Armstrong shot wide for the Reds with ten minutes left and Bostwick came on for his league debut in place of Scully as the game neared added time. Rovers were throwing everyone forward in pursuit of an equaliser, but Smith, who never had a real save to make, punched well clear when eight visitors were in the box for a late free-kick and Crawley held on to celebrate a crucial success which took them above their visitors into 18 th place with a game in hand.

Result: Saturday 18th March (Nationwide Conference)
Crawley Town 1 (Burton)
Forest Green 0
Attendance: 1,067
Crawley Town: Smith, Judge, Brown, Mendy, Giles, Scully (Bostwick 89), Clay, Blackburn (Jenkins 63), Armstrong, Burton, Coleman.
Unused subs: Ward, Woozley, Ekoku.

HOLLINS PRAISES MAGNIFICENT REDS
Crawley boss John Hollins said his players had again proved their professionalism with their battling 1-0 home win over Forest Green.

“It was a battle. They are a big team and Julian Alsop is a handful but we worked hard and the players in every position were magnificent.

“That's the first time we have won two league games in a row this season and we also have two clean sheets in a row. The players have problems of their own but they have put it behind them again and got us the points.

“I can sense a change in the atmosphere now we have won a couple of games. We are starting to do things properly and this is a tough league. We got three great points today and hopefully that will help us to get a bigger crowd against Cambridge next week.”

Hollins said he expects there to be no more arrivals before the transfer deadline, and hailed his side's defensive solidity, which has seen them concede just five goals in their last eight league games.

“I don't think there will be any more incoming players. I am happy with the squad we have now and they are doing their job. They are a good team but they have taken a long time to prove it. We have eliminated a little bit of the cavalier attitude and if we lose games now it will probably be by 1-0. That will help us with regard to gaol difference, too, which could still prove very important.”

Rovers boss Gary Owers said: “I was angry with our performance last week but today I'm just disappointed. We had a go and competed and put them under pressure. It wasn't pretty in those conditions but today was about huff and puff.”