Crawley moved out of the relegation zone after making it three wins on the trot with 1-0 victory at home to fellow strugglers Leyton Orient.

Skipper Izale McLeod scored the only goal of the game with a first-half penalty to help the Reds to a fifth win in eight games.

Both their goalkeepers played a significant part in the success, Lewis Price starring in the first half before going off with concussion to be replaced by Brian Jensen who made two fine saves in stoppage time.

The Reds have jumped two places to 19th, two places and one point clear of the drop zone.

Price made four excellent saves before Crawley went ahead.

McLeod had already slid a chance wide for the Reds before Price’s first intervention, a fine stop from Chris Dagnall after being set up by Dean Cox on 15 minutes.

Five minutes later Price showed good reactions again to thwart Henderson following a scramble in the six-yard area, then soon after he tipped over Cox’s 20-yarder from a central position.

Reds were under the cosh at that stage and Price came to the rescue again on 26 minutes to save from Dagnall again following another bit of clever play by Cox.

Having survived those chances, Crawley threatened themselves when Gavin Tomlin shot wide on the turn after linking well with Ryan Dickson.

The breakthrough came on 33 minutes after Mathias Pogba was bundled over in the penalty area by Luke O’Neill, who was booked, and McLeod stepped up to convert from the penalty spot for his 18th goal of the season.

Price, having taken a knock when making the second of his four saves, was replaced by Jensen at half-time and he made a good stop on 51 minutes to push Marvin Bartley’s 20-yard shot around a post.

Crawley spent most of the second half on the backfoot but they defended stoutly and, despite plenty of possession, Orient were limited to a handful of chances.

With 16 minutes to go a 30-yard strike from Andrea Dosena which was comfortable for Jensen.

Then in stoppage time Jensen made a super save to deny substitute David Mooney before tipping over a close-range effort from Ryan Hedges.

Crawley: Price (sub Jensen 46); Young, Ward, Wood, Bradley; Tomlin (sub Oyebanjo 90), Fowler, Wordsworth, Dickson; Pogba (sub Elliott 62); McLeod. Subs not used: Bawling, Morgan, Edwards, Smith.

Leyton Orient: Cisak; O’Neill, Cuthbert, Clarke, Dossena; Hedges, Wright, Bartley (sub Mooney 66), Cox (sub McAnuff 70); Dagnall, Henderson (sub Simpson 70). Subs not used: Sawyer, Baudry, Pritchard, Woods.