Crawley Town’s winless run stretched to nine games in all competitions with a rather tame 2-1 defeat at home to Port Vale.

It is seven matches without a win in League One, although they remain just outside the relegation zone.

First-half goals from Michael Brown and Louis Dodds handed fellow strugglers Port Vale the points.

Gavin Tomlin squandered a great chance to halve the arrears on 63 minutes when he had a penalty saved against his former club.

Substitute Conor Henderson pulled a goal back a minute from time but it was too little, too late from the Reds.

The visitors were two goals up by half-time but had chances before that.

Their first came after just four minutes when home goalkeeper Lewis Price saved at his near post from Dany N’Guessan after Dean Leacock gave the ball away.

On 19 minutes Brown’s shot from distance was not held by Price but Joe Walsh cleared the danger at the expense of a corner.

Two minutes later Sonny Bradley headed over Lewis Young’s cross at the other end when in a good position.

The breakthrough came on the half-hour mark when Brown coolly placed a shot into the top corner form 16 yards after great work from N’Guessan to burst into the box before laying the ball off.

Shaun Miller threatened an equaliser with a poked shot which Chris Neal held and soon after the Reds striker had another effort blocked.

Five minutes before the break the visitors doubled their advantage. Dodds swapped passes with Ben Williamson to carve open the home defence far too easily, Price saved Dodds’ first shot but the Port Vale player fired home at the second attempt.

Manager John Gregory threw on an extra forward at half-time, with Matt Harrold replacing Young in a switch to 4-3-3.

The game developed an edge in the early stages of the second half but it was the visitors who continued to create the chances, Williamson’s shot saved by Price on 57 minutes after a great turn in the box.

On 62 minutes Crawley were handed a possible route back into the contest when Marvin Elliott was shoved over by Michael O’Connor for a rather soft penalty but Tomlin’s spot-kick was saved by Neal.

Mark Marshall should have killed off the game for the visitors on 69 minutes but he fired wide of an upright from a good position.

N’Guessan had an even better chance four minutes later but Price saved one-on-one to keep it at 2-0 and the Port Vale could not direct the rebound into the net.

Henderson, having replaced Sonny Bradley, drove home his second goal for Crawley with a smart finish into the bottom corner on 89 minutes.

Crawley: Price; Bradley (sub Henderson 79), Leacock, Walsh; Bawling, Smith, Elliott, Young (sub Harrold 46), Dickson; Tomlin, Miller. Subs not used: Banya, O’Connor, Richefond, Isaacs, Jensen.

Port Vale: Neal; Yates, Vesili, Duffy, Dickinson; Brown, O’Connor (sub Robertson 86); Marshall, Dodds, N’Guessan; Williamson (sub Birchall 90). Subs not used: Moore, Lloyd, Nimely, Campion, Boot.