Crawley Town failed to score in a home game for the first time this season, as they drew 0-0 at home to Accrington Stanley in League Two today.

The contest at the Checkatrade.com Stadium will be remembered for little other than a series of missed chances for the visitors, as Reds never managed a sustained period of pressure, though their positive run of form now reads as one loss in eight games.

Crawley head coach Dermot Drummy made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 at Cheltenham Town last Saturday, with Andre Blackman returning from suspension and replacing Chris Arthur at left-back, while Bobson Bawling was brought in for Jason Banton in attacking midfield.

The teams went into the game separated by just goal difference, with Accrington, who went into the game having lost just one of their previous eight league games, situated two places above the hosts in seventh in the table.

It was Crawley who created the first clear opening in the fifth minute, with Enzio Boldewijn’s low cross from the right being latched on to by James Collins, whose effort was straight at Stanley keeper Elliot Parish.

The first chance for the visitors also came from a cross three minutes later, as Sean McConville teed up Jordan Clark from the left, but the forward volleyed onto the outside of the post.

Referee Brendan Malone was called into action when Accrington’s claims for a penalty were turned down after Terry Gornell fell in the penalty area, leaving the home crowd nervously silent.

Accrington continued to look threatening, especially when a goalmouth scramble just stayed out, with Matty Pearson seeing his effort just inside the six-yard box deflecting wide.

The tempo of the game slowed for the next 15 minutes, before Collins saw his second effort on target comfortably saved after a cut-back from Bawling, before McConville’s curled shot was gathered smoothly by Town keeper Glenn Morris.

Morris was forced into another save when Clark cut in from the left and also tried to the curl the ball past him, but the stopper parried the ball away from danger.

There was a feeling going into half-time that the contest had settled after a fast-paced opening, and it seemed that Crawley were lacking in attacking threat.

There was a strong response after the interval, as Boldewijn was put through and almost finished off a skilful move, but fired wide from the right of the penalty area.

Morris had to be alert again when keeping out Gornell’s central attempt from just outside the penalty area, before Accrington centre-back Omar Beckles was inches away from giving his team the lead, as Crawley captain Jimmy Smith cleared his header off the line.

Crawley were then let off the hook on the hour mark, as another scramble ensued when Morris dropped a cross, but John O'Sullivan missed an open goal, hitting the post.

O’Sullivan was the next Accrington player to spurn a decent opportunity, as he shot wide after getting in behind the Crawley defence.

A change was made to that defence shortly after, as centre-back Mark Connolly, who appeared to have taken a knock, was replaced by Alex Davey.

A header from Smith sailed narrowly wide from a corner, before Pearson ran through unchallenged at the other end with ten minutes of normal time remaining, but once again, Accrington missed the target.

Bobson Bawling’s afternoon came to an end when he went down clutching his left leg.

Beckles once again escaped his marker from a corner, but could only head straight at Morris, before Clark took down a cross from the left and dragged the shot wide.

The full-time whistle was greeted with groans from some of the home crowd, and the result leaves Crawley in the same place in the table, as they are still being kept out of the play-off positions on goal difference.

Their next match is a league trip to Carlisle United next Saturday.

Crawley: Morris; Young, Connolly (Davey, 68), McNerney, Blackman; Smith (c), Djalo; Boldewijn (Yussuf, 68), Clifford, Bawling (Tajbakhsh, 83); Collins. Unused substitutes: Mersin (GK), Arthur, Pappoe

Accrington: Parish, Vyner, Beckles, Pearson, Donacien; O’Sullivan (Boco, 72), Brown, Lacey, McConville; Clark, Gornell. Unused substitutes: Hughes, Jones, Hewitt, Taylor-Fletcher, Chapman (GK), McCartan

Referee: Brendan Malone

Attendance: 2,092

Report by David Cook