Reds crash to ten men (From The Argus)

Reds crash to ten men

10:30am Wednesday 28th October 2009

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AFC Wimbledon 3, Crawley 1.

Crawley's FA Cup dream is over for another year and they only have themselves to blame.

Steve Evans’ men looked to be heading to the first round for the first time since 2003 and a lucrative trip to Millwall when Jefferson Louis scored his sixth goal of the season to make it 1-1 and Wimbledon had defender Derek Duncan sent off on the stroke of half-time.

But having squandered several excellent chances, they fell behind to a sucker punch in the 66th minute from Luke Moore and Danny Kedwell took advantage of a mistake by goalkeeper Simon Rayner to make it safe for the hosts in the final minute.

Crawley fell behind against the run of play after 14 minutes when they lost possession in midfield and Jon Main was allowed to line up a shot from 20 yards which beat Rayner and went in off the far post.

The visitors responded positively and Danny Forrest should have equalised when Stuart Pullen pushed out Louis’s shot but side-footed wide of goal.

Crawley deservedly drew level after 23 minutes when Louis sprung the offside trap to latch onto Ben Smith’s perfectly weighted pass and guide a low shot past Pullen for his first goal since he scored in the league game at Kingsmeadow a month ago.

Reds had to re-adjust when Karl Broadhurst, victim of a late challenge from Main early on, limped off and Chris Giles came on for his first appearance since August at left back.

It did not stall Crawley’s momentum, however, and the impressive Smith nearly struck five minutes before the break when he latched onto Adam Quinn’s hit and hope but saw his volley miss the target by inches.

The Dons were still a threat and Rayner made an instinctive save with his feet to keep out Kedwell’s header.

Seconds later the home side’s task was made harder when full-back Duncan, who had already been cautioned for a foul on Forrest, clattered into Barry Cogan and referee Rob Whitton had no option but to reach for his red card.

There was no let up in the intensity in the second period with the visitors still looking more likely to break the deadlock.

Louis, a handful for the home defence throughout, thought he had beaten Pullen with a 55th-minute header but the Wimbledon keeper, hampered by a hamstring injury, pawed it out from under his crossbar.

The value of that save became apparent when the hosts went back in front midway through the second period after Reds were caught on the counter.

Kedwell led the break down the right and when his cross was dummied by Lewis Taylor it wrong-footed Crawley’s defenders and Moore beat Rayner from the edge of the penalty area.

Boss Steve Evans, watching from the directors box because of his touchline ban, made two attacking changes with Calum Willock and Mikey Malcolm coming on and Evans was out of his seat when Louis’ piledriver appeared to be sneaking inside the post until substitute Paul Lorraine stuck out a leg to divert it for a corner.

Louis headed on to the top of the crossbar but with seconds of normal time remaining Rayner dropped Moore’s cross at the feet of Kedwell, who made no mistake.

AFC Wimbledon: Pullen, Duncan, Johnson, Wellard, Gregory, Inns, Taylor, Moore, Kedwell, Main (sub: Lorraine 45). Subs: Brown, Judge, Godfrey, Montague.

Crawley Town: Rayner, Rusk, Broadhurst (sub: Giles 22), Quinn, Wilson, Cogan, Pinault, Hutchinson, Smith (Malcolm 75), Louis, Forrest (Willock 63). Unused subs: Killeen, Carter, Jordan, Lake-Edwards.

Referee: Rob Whitton (Essex).

Attendance: 2,467

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