Boss Billy Smith was given a vote of confidence after Crawley crashed out of the FA Trophy in humiliating fashion.

Reds' chief executive John Duly blasted the Broadfield Stadium boo-boys who targeted Smith and reminded them how far the club has come since his appointment.

He said: "Billy has done a great job and we've got no gripes with him. He saved us from relegation last season and he has raised expectations by guiding us into the top batch of clubs.

"The manager has got nothing to be worried about. He has got our full support and we'll be chatting with him this week to see what can be done to help."

Eastern division minnows Ashford looked down and out when Danny Carroll's 18-yard shot went in off the crossbar.

But an appalling second-half performance allowed Tony Eeles to level before Steve Marshall clinched victory from the penalty spot for the Kent team with 14 minutes left.

It was Crawley's fourth defeat in nine matches and for some supporters defeat was too much to stomach.

Smith and Keith Sharman were the targets for a volley of foul-mouthed abuse.

But Duly said: "Supporters need to remember that the club laid down a five-year plan to make the Conference, ten for the Football League. We're only one year into that plan and it is only because of Billy's excellent management that supporters have been thinking about silverware coming this season.

"Fans are fickle sometimes and I would urge them to get behind us. It's the best way to take this club forward."

With Crawley falling dramatically off the pace in the Dr Martens premier division promotion chase, the Trophy was a chance of winning something, although the Dr Martens League Cup and Sussex Senior Cup are still up for grabs.

Smith locked his players in the changing room for 30 minutes afterwards and told them he was disgusted by their performance.

He said: "We don't have a leader in the team. When things go badly there is no one to pick the game up by the scruff of the neck.

"The team switches on and off. For ten minutes towards the end of the first half we were switched on and should have scored three goals.

"But we switched off, they equalised, the heads went down and we fell behind. I need a leader in the team. Players like Mark Hawthorne and Scott Mean are the sort of players I expect more from, but perhaps that's why they're here and no longer with League clubs."

It was a poor game which only exploded into life when Reds raised the tempo for ten minutes. Luke Anderson had a 20-yard effort saved and a long-range drive by Hawthorne bounced back off a post.

Carroll did beat Ashford goalkeeper Craig Tucker with an 18-yard shot to give his side a 38th-minute lead and there seemed no way back for Ashford.

But they pulled level during a lethargic second half when former Welsh international Steve Lovell, now 40, got free down the right and provided the cross for Eeles to convert from six yards in the 72nd minute.

John Ugbah sent Marshall crashing in the box 14 minutes from time and the striker coolly hammered home the penalty to give Ashford a memorable win.

Crawley striker Dean Wordsworth said: "Expectations have been perhaps too high, but nothing can excuse the performance."

Ashford boss Tommy Sampson, who led Deal Town to winning the F.A. Vase at Wembley last May, had sympathy for Reds.

Sampson said: "Crawley are a good side with a fine manager, but they're going through a rough time and we capitalised on that.

He jokingly added: "I've already won at Wembley, now I want to win the Trophy at Villa Park."

But nobody from Crawley was laughing.

Crawley: Little; Hawthorne (sub: Brake 84 mins), Payne, Sharman, Pullan, Ugbah, Carroll, Anderson, Mean, Hynes (sub: Vines 80 mins), Woolf (sub: Wordsworth 15 mins). Subs not used: Powell, Taylor.

Ashford: Tucker; Taylor, Edwards, Ash, Warden, Robinson, Webster, Eeles, Marshall, Lovell, Arundel. Subs not used: McRobert, O'Leary, Heather.

Men-of-the-Match: Hynes (Crawley); Lovell (Ashford).

Attendance: 708.

Referee: Mr S. Rubery (Ilford).