Match ends, Crawley Town 0, Colchester United 2.
CrawleyCrawley Town0ColchesterColchester United2
Colchester boosted their League Two play-off challenge with a deserved victory at Crawley.
Goals in each half from Mikael Mandron and Sammie Szmodics extended the U's unbeaten league run to four games.
Crawley were forced into a late change when goalkeeper Glenn Morris hurt his back in the warm-up, and his replacement Yusuf Mersin was beaten after only four minutes.
Following a strong run by Drey Wright, Cedric Evina failed to clear inside the his own area and Mandron stroked the ball home from 10 yards.
Crawley had gone into the game unbeaten at home since 17 October and the hosts threatened for the first time when Evina put a shot narrowly wide.
The Reds' top scorer Jordan Roberts was slow to react after Lewis Young found him with a deep cross before Mersin held a low shot from Ryan Jackson at the other end.
Colchester leading marksman Szmodics doubled the advantage with his seventh goal in eight games and 12th of the season on 58 minutes.
Szmodics seized on a through ball from Brandon Comley to expertly lob Mersin.
Crawley were spared a heavier defeat when Szmodics put an angled drive against the crossbar in the 66th minute.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Line-ups
Crawley
Formation 4-4-2
- 12Mersin
- 22Lelan
- 15Yorwerth
- 6Connolly
- 19Evina
- 2Young
- 17DjalóSubstituted forPayneat 63'minutes
- 18Clifford
- 27SanohBooked at 45minsSubstituted forMeiteat 45'minutes
- 23VerheydtSubstituted forRandallat 45'minutes
- 11Roberts
Substitutes
- 3Doherty
- 4Payne
- 21Bulman
- 24Lewis
- 25Randall
- 26Meite
Colchester
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Walker
- 2Jackson
- 4Lapslie
- 6KentBooked at 45mins
- 22Vincent-Young
- 7Wright
- 14Comley
- 18EastmanSubstituted forGuthrieat 84'minutes
- 17ReidSubstituted forMurrayat 80'minutes
- 10SzmodicsBooked at 86minsSubstituted forHanlanat 88'minutes
- 19Mandron
Substitutes
- 12Kpekawa
- 16Murray
- 21Hanlan
- 24Slater
- 27Odelusi
- 28Guthrie
- 29Gilmartin
- Referee:
- Antony Coggins
- Attendance:
- 2,154
Match Stats
Home TeamCrawleyAway TeamColchester
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away7
- Corners
- Home2
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crawley Town 0, Colchester United 2.
Post update
Foul by Ryan Jackson (Colchester United).
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Cedric Evina (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Cedric Evina (Crawley Town).
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Ryan Jackson (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Josh Yorwerth (Crawley Town).
Post update
Frankie Kent (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Brandon Comley (Colchester United).
Post update
Ibrahim Meite (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Colchester United. Brandon Hanlan replaces Sammie Szmodics.
Post update
Tom Lapslie (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Cedric Evina (Crawley Town).
Booking
Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Yusuf Mersin.
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Attempt saved. Drey Wright (Colchester United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Mikael Mandron (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Mark Connolly (Crawley Town).
Substitution
Substitution, Colchester United. Kurtis Guthrie replaces Tom Eastman.
Post update
Foul by Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town).
