Northwich 2, Crawley Town 1.

Caretaker boss John Yems called for the spirit of fans and players together' to lift Crawley to a rousing finish to a fraught season.

After watching what he called "a very disappointing display" he said: "The one positive thing to come out of the game is that we still need only one more win to be safe.

"We did well in the air early on but we should not have been playing in the air but on the ground, the way we have all season.

"We stopped doing what we do well, while Northwich stuck to their game plan and deserved to win.

"We have not been safe since August and have been desperate for points since then.

"But would we have settled at the start of the season to be in this position? Too right we would.

"We've got three points to get. We have got to grasp the nettle and need the spirit and togetherness of the fans and the players to do it."

Crawley were desperate enough at the finish to send goalkeeper Ben Hamer up for consecutive corners and he only just got back in time to make a fine double stop from Kevin Townson as Vics broke quickly.

But then the final whistle sounded on a performance that started brightly but faded just as quickly.

In the 16th minute Elliott Benyon rounded goalkeeper Phil Senior twice and his chance disappeared.

But within 60 seconds Crawley won a corner and Steve Evans flighted the ball to the head of Magnus Okuonghae who applied accuracy instead of power to find the opposite corner of the net.

Another Evans corner soon after was met by Dave Woozley but his header went straight into Senior's arms.

A goal then might have led to a happier ending but already Crawley had been forced to defend and needed the presence of Scott Hiley and Ben Judge to survive probing attacks.

Woozley did enough to spoil a good chance for Paul Brayson but in the 36th minute Northwich were level.

James Dean played a quick pass into the danger zone from the side of the box and centre back Mark Roberts turned well to slam the ball past Hamer.

Benyon created a chance for Lee Blackburn shortly after the restart but Keiran Charnock flung himself into the path of the ball and the Crawley attack only flickered thereafter, at least until they piled forward anxiously near the end.

They were chasing Northwich from the 56th minute when a flowing move involving three players was finished via a post by Brayson from close range.

Judge made way for Scott Rendell in the 73rd minute and Crawley switched to a 3-4-3 formation, which left them short of cover at the back.

But an Evans centre which went through a crowded area and had Senior scurrying along his line in panic and an off-target Woozley header was all they had to show for the risks they were taking.

Northwich: Senior, Roberts, Carr, Charnock, Battersby, Byrne (Brown 22), Mayman, Smart, Roca (Griffiths 54), Dean (Townson 77), Brayson. Subs not used: Connett, Shaw.

Crawley Town: Hamer, Judge (Rendell 74), Woozley, Okuonghae, Hiley, Blackburn (Berry 64), Bulman, Evans, Scully, Richardson (Blackman 83), Benyon. Subs not used: Tolfrey, Marshall.