Lewes 0 Crawley 3.

Steve Evans is preparing to strengthen after Crawley belatedly got their season off the mark.

The Reds bounced back from Saturday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to York with a comfortable 3-0 win over new boys Lewes at the Dripping Pan.

Evans revealed after the game he would have up to three new faces in his squad ahead of Saturday’s trip to Forest Green.

Defender Adam Quinn, an England semi-pro international, has joined the club from Halifax and watched last night’s game from the stands after his registration failed to go through in time.

The Reds are also chasing one more permanent signing as well as a loan player from Crystal Palace.

The signings will bolster a squad currently missing Steve Fletcher, Isaiah Rankin and Chris Giles through injury.

Jamie Cook was not fully fit due to a hip injury and had to be content with a place on the bench at Lewes but despite this Crawley still managed to deliver the performance that Evans demanded.

Evans, sitting in the stand as he served the second game of a 12-match ban, said: “At 3pm we had a new striker and a new centre half. Then at 4.45 we didn’t have a striker because he wanted a six-month deal instead of a three-week deal. With Adam Quinn a technical problem with the administration at Halifax stopped it going through at 4.55.

“Quinn, Fletcher, Rankin and Giles are massive players at Conference level and to be brutal we still came here and won rather easily.

“All I ask of my team is to play with maximum effort and commitment and we didn’t do that on Saturday. We let ourselves down.

“Danny Forrest was outstanding tonight, Jon-Paul Pittman was too and Simon Weatherstone was sensational. But the most important thing was we got three points and our season has started.”

Evans made three changes, bringing in Brad Thomas, Weatherstone and Sam Rents.

The visitors began with widemen Forrest and Lewis Killeen supporting lone striker Pittman and they carved out the first chance of the contest on seven minutes. Thomas Pinault worked the ball on to his favoured right foot and drove in a shot from the left which goalkeeper Rikki Banks pushed round the post for a corner.

Lewes, though, certainly were not overawed in the opening exchanges and could have gone ahead on 16 minutes when Jake Wright allowed Chris Breach’s long ball forward to run, letting in James Fraser who fired just over the bar with only goalkeeper Simon Rayner to beat.

The hosts appeared to be heading into half-time level until Crawley struck twice in as many minutes shortly before the break.

Pittman broke the deadlock on 40 minutes with a smart finish inside the far post past an outstretched Banks after good work down the right by Forrest.

Lewes switched off for a moment and paid the penalty as the Reds struck again within 60 seconds when Pinault chipped the ball into the penalty area and Forrest drilled home.

The Rooks threatened to pull one back on the stroke of half-time with a header from Scott Taylor but the game already looked beyond them at this stage.

Crawley went for the jugular at the start of the second half and Pittman struck a post within a minute.

They then had an appeal for a penalty as Glenn Wilson went down and Pittman had another pop at goal on 52 minutes which Banks could only push away.

The Rooks did not give up with Taylor having a chance when he sprinted clear only to overrun the ball.

Michael Standing had a couple of shots at goal which failed to extend Rayner and substitute Chamal Fenelon also tried his luck.

But a third goal for Crawley wrapped up victory 16 minutes from time.

Pittman laid the ball off to Weatherstone who was given too much time and space to fire past Banks with the help of a slight deflection.

Lewes boss Kevin Keehan said: “We didn’t really get going but you try to take something positive out of it. We didn’t play very well but we defended quite well for 39 minutes and had the best chance until that time.

“They still had the lion’s share of the play in the second half but we had the more shots, not ones to frighten the goalkeeper but at least we had a go.

“We need to pass it better otherwise it will be a real uphill battle. To be fair we missed Danny Cullip tonight more than we did on Saturday.”

Lewes: Banks 7; Breach 6, Graves 7, Barness 7; Richards 6, Geard 6 (sub Rowland 65), Keehan 7, Standing 7, Wallis-Tayler 6; Fraser 6 (sub Fenelon 65), Taylor 6. Subs not used: Cox, Elliott, Ruddy.

Booked: Keehan (85, foul), Graves (89, foul).

Crawley: Rayner 6; Wilson 7, Thomas 7, Wright 6, Rents 6; Forrest 8, Bulman 7, Weatherstone 8, Pinault 7, Killeen 7; Pittman 8 (sub Douglas 90). Subs not used: Stevens, Cook, Nayee, Morgan.

Referee: Mr N. Kinseley (Essex).

Attendance: 1,260