Tom Pett and David Amoo get their first goals in the league as the Valiants take three points in Crawley
James Wilson scored his 3rd goal of the season last weekend against Colchester United and looked early on in this one. Six minutes in and he let loose from 20-yards which produced a good save from Glenn Morris who hung onto the shot.
Two minutes later Mal Benning tried a shot from the left at around 25-yards which went wide of the target. Wilson tried again on ten minutes from outside the area but once more his shot was held by Morris.
Referee Trevor Kettle made a huge decision on 12 minutes sending off Joel Lynch for an elbow to the face of Nathan Smith whilst the ball was out of play. Dennis Politic had arguably his best performance in a Vale shirt last weekend and started this game well too. On the quarter hour mark Politic fired a low strike towards the left corner which was well saved by Morris.
A very quiet 25-minute spell which the Valiants dominated but could not find an opener. 42 minutes gone and Ben Garrity came close from a corner but his header went over the bar.
But with all the pressure the Valiants put on Crawley it was the hosts who got the opener. Top scorer Kwesi Appiah headed home on 44 minutes after we failed to clear the initial ball from a free-kick. In first half stoppage time Dan Jones almost found an equaliser with an excellent shot from 35-yards which had to be palmed away for a corner before the end of the half.
The Valiants were back level four minutes into the second half after a terrific free-kick from around 22-yards out after half-time substitute George Lloyd was fouled. 53 minutes in Conlon stood over another free-kick from the same distance but this was palmed away from danger.
Crawley were down to ten men but were still creating chances and Tyler Frost went close from a corner but had his shot saved by Lucas Covolan. The goal scorer Appiah on 71 minutes had an effort from outside the area but his effort went wide of our goal.
A minute later substitute Jake Taylor had a huge chance to get the lead after Lloyd’s ball found him at the back post but his header went agonisingly wide. On 73 minutes Jones once more had a shot from over 30-yards which was well saved by Morris as it curled towards the left bottom corner.
Three minutes later the Valiants took the lead through Tom Pett. Conlon’s free-kick about five yards to the left of the corner was floated in and bobbled around the area before Amoo got hold of it and laid it off to Pett on the edge of the area whose shot went through several bodies and past Morris.
Lloyd almost made it three after getting past two defenders before trying to curl the ball around Morris but the Crawley keeper made a great save to push it away for a corner. On 79 minutes it was three, James Gibbons played an inch perfect pass to substitute David Amoo in the area who pulled the ball back across goal which was put into the net by George Francomb.
Amoo got his goal on 90+3 after being found by Conlon. He rounded the keeper and slotted it in for four with the last kick of the game.
Crawley Town | Morris, Tsaroulla, Lynch, Craig, Francomb (83’ Payne), Ferry (78’ Davies), Hessenthaler, Powell, Frost (65’ Marshall), Appiah, Nichols
Subs not used: Nna Noukeu, Marshall, Rodari, Ashford
Port Vale: Covolan, Gibbons, Jones, Smith, Garrity (46’ Amoo), Wilson, Conlon, Benning, Politic (68’ Taylor), Pett, Cass (46’ Lloyd)
Subs not used: Stone, Walker, Martin, Amos