Fortune does not always favour the brave so Crawley boss Steve Evans deserves credit for sticking to his principals even though he knew he would be on the receiving end had things gone wrong.

It would have been easy for Reds to adopt route one tactics in the second half after going behind against play-off contenders York.

The mood at half-time on the terraces was restless following Tuesday’s midweek FA Cup defeat when Crawley adopted similar tactics and ended up losing to ten men.

Instead, Evans took off the ineffectual Jefferson Louis and told his players to keep passing and trying to stretch York which was not always easy given the lack of natural width in their side, especially down the left.

Evans and the fans were rewarded with an outstanding second-half display capped with two goals from Danny Forrest and a first for the club from Ben Smith.

Evans said: “We reminded the players to be brave on the ball and keep playing and I would take the flack if things went against us.

“In the first half we felt Jefferson was coming too deep and filling the space Ben Smith should have been playing in and a lot of our play was breaking down as a result.

“We sacrificed Calum Willock’s defensive duties and told him to hold a high line for us and you could see the difference, our passing was outstanding.

“Suddenly Ben Smith is popping up into space and Danny Forrest, who needs to play on the shoulder of his strike partner, got two goals.”

Crawley rode their luck at times as York twice hit the woodwork after the break and had two other efforts cleared off the line although Evans felt his side’s good fortune was long overdue.

The crowd of 972 was not the lowest of the season but did contain 271 York fans, reflecting general apathy about the direction of Crawley’s campaign in the wake of their FA Cup exit.

The stay-aways missed the most entertaining game of the season which hinged on two incidents in the second half when, for once, Crawley got the rub of the green.

Richard Brodie had fired York into a 28th-minute lead with a free-kick from 22 yards for his 11th goal of the season but just when frustrated Reds were beginning to run out of ideas, Chris Giles flicked on Thomas Pinault’s 53rd-minute free-kick and Forrest stole half a yard on his marker to find the bottom corner with a volley from eight yards.

Simon Rayner preserved the lead with an outstanding reflex save to keep out Brodie’s drive then with 15 minutes to go Giles, who had given the ball away to Adam Boyes, popped up on the line to clear Michael Rankine’s shot off the line after Boyes had hit the inside of the post.

Just how important that was became evident three minutes later. Forrest and Willock both had shots blocked and when the ball ran loose Smith beat Michael Ingham with a neat close-range finish.

For the first time since he joined the club a week before the start of the season Reds saw Smith at his best. Here is a player who loves getting ahead of the front two or dropping deeper to find space and pick a pass.

Evans said: “When Ben gets on the ball he makes things happen. He has a wonderful talent and when he’s working at his maximum he is quite awesome for the level we play at.”

York were not finished. Simon Rusk frustrated his old club with another goal-line clearance to deny Brodie and in injury time Brodie was left holding his head in his hands after his shot cannoned out off the underside of the bar.

It would have been a consolation though, Forrest having made the game safe after Willock teed him up with two minutes remaining for his third goal in three games since he moved up front.

By the time Reds return to action in a fortnight against another of the play-off contenders Mansfield they expect to have Charlie Ademeno, Karl Broadhurst and Sam Rents fit. Crisis? What crisis?

Crawley: Rayner, Rusk, Quinn, Wilson, Giles, Hutchinson (Malcolm 89), Pinault, Smith, Cogan, Louis (sub: Willock 45), Forrest (Carter 90+1). Subs not used: Killeen, Jordan.

Yellow cards: Smith, Forrest (fouls) York City: Ingham; McGurk, Parslow, Sangare (sub: Meredith 71), Carruthers, Boyes, Lawless, Barrett (Mackin 76), Ferrell (Nelthorpe 80), Rankine, Brodie. Subs not used: Smith, McWilliams.

Yellow cards: Barrett, McGurk (fouls)