Crawley Town 0-2 Colchester United

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
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Crawley

• 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

• 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

Posted at

Match ends, Crawley Town 0, Colchester United 2.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Crawley Town 0, Colchester United 2.

Posted at 90'+4'

Foul by Ryan Jackson (Colchester United).

Posted at 90'+4'

Cedric Evina (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+4'

Foul by Cedric Evina (Crawley Town).

Posted at 90'+4'

Ryan Jackson (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+3'

Foul by Josh Yorwerth (Crawley Town).

Posted at 90'+3'

Frankie Kent (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Brandon Comley (Colchester United).

Posted at 90'

Ibrahim Meite (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution

Posted at 88'

Substitution, Colchester United. Brandon Hanlan replaces Sammie Szmodics.

Posted at 87'

Tom Lapslie (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 87'

Foul by Cedric Evina (Crawley Town).

Booking

Posted at 86'

Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 86'

Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Yusuf Mersin.

Posted at 86'

Attempt saved. Drey Wright (Colchester United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at 85'

Mikael Mandron (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Mark Connolly (Crawley Town).

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Colchester United. Kurtis Guthrie replaces Tom Eastman.

Posted at 84'

Foul by Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town).

Posted at 84'

Tom Lapslie (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 81'

Foul by Billy Clifford (Crawley Town).

Posted at 81'

Brandon Comley (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 80'

Substitution, Colchester United. Sean Murray replaces Kyel Reid.

Posted at 76'

Foul by Josh Payne (Crawley Town).

Posted at 76'

Mikael Mandron (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 75'

Attempt missed. Josh Payne (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.

Posted at 74'

Josh Lelan (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Kyel Reid (Colchester United).

Posted at 72'

Attempt saved. Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 70'

Attempt blocked. Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 70'

Attempt blocked. Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Posted at 67'

Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Frankie Kent (Colchester United).

Posted at 66'

Attempt missed. Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.

Posted at 66'

Attempt saved. Josh Payne (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

Posted at 65'

Attempt missed. Tom Eastman (Colchester United) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 64'

Kane Vincent-Young (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town).

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Crawley Town. Josh Payne replaces Kaby.

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