Match ends, Crawley Town 1, Colchester United 0.
CrawleyCrawley Town1ColchesterColchester United0
Mike Jones' goal was enough to keep Crawley's slim League One play-off hopes alive with victory over strugglers Colchester United.
U's keeper Sam Walker saved from Billy Clarke and Jones, who then finished off Clarke's ball over the top.
The visitors twice hit the woodwork in the second half, Sanchez Watt heading against the bar before Dominic Vose hit the post.
Crawley are 15 points adrift of the play-offs but have four games in hand.
Colchester are 17th, but just two points above the relegation zone.
Crawley assistant manager Guy Whittingham told BBC Sussex:
"You're always happy when you win, and you're always happy when you put in a 'grinding' performance. It's a great result to have with a clean sheet. That's what you're after.
"We had a long break, and then to come back and win the games we won straight away was a huge achievement, so to get back to winning ways was good timing, especially with a tough game against Wolves coming up."
Colchester United manager Joe Dunne told BBC Essex:
"They had the first half, we had the second. I thought it was a fantastic response in the second half.
"It's another defeat unfortunately - we can't start games like we did today.
"We are making opportunities, we are just not taking them at the moment. We have to keep believing in ourselves.
"The players are trying exceptionally hard. It hurts them. They don't like losing. We are on a bit of a difficult run."
Line-ups
Crawley
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Jones
- 4ConnollyBooked at 25mins
- 3Sadler
- 15Bulman
- 5McFadzean
- 12Walsh
- 21Jones
- 10DrurySubstituted forTorresat 74'minutes
- 18TubbsSubstituted forProctorat 60'minutes
- 7Clarke
- 11Simpson
Substitutes
- 8Torres
- 14Proctor
- 16Kaikai
- 17Boateng
- 25Maddison
- 28Dicker
- 29Connolly
Colchester
Formation 4-3-3
- 44Walker
- 20Wilson
- 3Dickson
- 2Wright
- 4Okuonghae
- 18EastmanBooked at 67mins
- 15Bean
- 6EastmondSubstituted forVoseat 71'minutes
- 17IbehreSubstituted forMorrisonat 71'minutesBooked at 79mins
- 11SearsSubstituted forMasseyat 45'minutes
- 7Sanchez Watt
Substitutes
- 1Cousins
- 9Morrison
- 21Massey
- 22Gilbey
- 25Vose
- 39Sesay
- 41Bonne
- Referee:
- Chris Sarginson
- Attendance:
- 3,182
Match Stats
Home TeamCrawleyAway TeamColchester
- Possession
- Home58%
- Away42%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away0
- Corners
- Home9
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away16
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crawley Town 1, Colchester United 0.
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Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Sergio Torres.
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Dominic Vose (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Sergio Torres (Crawley Town).
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Foul by Jamie Proctor (Crawley Town).
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Marcus Bean (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Clinton Morrison (Colchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Mark Connolly (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Gavin Massey (Colchester United).
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Attempt missed. Billy Clarke (Crawley Town) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
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Corner, Crawley Town. Conceded by Tom Eastman.
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Mark Connolly (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Gavin Massey (Colchester United).
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Attempt missed. Dannie Bulman (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
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Billy Clarke (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Brian Wilson (Colchester United).
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Attempt saved. Jamie Proctor (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Dominic Vose (Colchester United) hits the left post with a right footed shot from outside the box.
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Attempt missed. Kyle McFadzean (Crawley Town) header from the right side of the box misses to the right.
