Crawley 1-0 Town (AET) Tuesday, 12th Aug 2014 22:32 Town exited the Capital One Cup at the first round stage as Izale McLeod’s extra-time goal saw League One Crawley to a 1-0 win at the Broadfield Stadium. Debutant sub Teddy Bishop (pictured) went closest for the Blues, who really ought to have had the game won within the 90 minutes, when he hit the bar. Town handed the expected debuts to 17-year-old Matt Clarke, keeper Bartosz Bialkowski and winger Alex Henshall, while Jack Marriott and Kevin Bru made their first Blues starts. In a side featuring eight changes from the team which started against Fulham, there was also a rare start for transfer-listed Paul Taylor. Clarke lined-up at left-back with Elliott Hewitt at right-back and skipper Luke Chambers and Christophe Berra at the heart of the defence. In central midfield, Bru partnered Anthony Wordsworth with Henshall on the left and Taylor on the right. Marriott was up front with Frank Nouble. On five Taylor ran into trouble having done well to beat his man midway inside the Crawley half, then Lanre Oyebanjo shot well over from distance for the home side. Izale McLeod shot just wide for the Red Devils, who lined-up with five men in midfield, then on 12 Nouble snatched at a Chambers long ball which the Crawley defence had failed to deal with and his shot looped well over. Two minutes later, Bru picked up his first yellow card in English football for a foul on Conor Henderson, who was on trial with the Blues last summer. On 17 Henshall joined him for a trip on Bobson Bawling. Berra headed wide from a Hewitt long throw on the right with the opening 20 minutes having been an even affair. Town should have gone in front in the 21st minute when Wordsworth played a superb pass into the path of Nouble from midway inside the Crawley half towards the left after Clarke had brought the ball out of defence, but the Blues striker diverted the ball wide from 10 yards when he seemed certain to open his account for the season. On 25 Gwion Edwards saw a shot deflect into the Town side-netting from a tight angle, then home skipper Joe Walsh just failed to get his head to Henderson’s freekick from the left after a foul by Wordsworth. As the half moved towards its final five minutes with the Blues increasingly on top, Taylor skipped into the area on the right before hitting a shot which was blocked. In injury time McLeod was somewhat harshly booked for handling Taylor’s freekick while in the wall. The Blues striker curled the resultant second freekick well wide. The scores remained level at the break after an evenly balanced half. Both sides had had half-chances in the main with Town the game’s once significant opportunity, which Nouble spurned. Debutant teenager Clarke had looked comfortable at left-back with Henshall a threat when running at the Crawley defence, albeit without creating a chance so far, while Bialkowski had, like his Red Devils counterpart Brian Jensen, had been largely untroubled. Winger Henshall hit the second half’s first effort well over, then Taylor failed to latch on to Clarke’s chipped cross from the left after the academy second-year scholar had exchanged passes with Nouble, who moments later hit a low shot which Jensen claimed low to his left. Town continued their bright start to the second half, Taylor using his pace as the Blues broke following a Crawley attack but his pass to Nouble was too weak. Taylor curled a shot just wide from 20 yards in the 57th minute having been found by Bru, who had put in a neat and tidy display in central midfield. Town went within inches of going in front just before the hour when Bru played in Hewitt on the right and the Wales U21 international sent across a low ball which Nouble, Clarke and Henshall all just failed to reach. The Blues were looking more and more threatening and a minute later again went close. Jensen was unable to hold on to Taylor’s powerful shot from the edge of the box, Nouble reached the loose ball first and found Hewitt, who couldn’t get in a clean shot and Crawley cleared their lines. Marriott, who had had little opportunity to show his prowess in front of goal, was swapped for Balint Bajner on 63, then moments later Bialkowski was forced to tip away Edwards’s cross from the right which otherwise might have sneaked under his bar. On 66 Taylor hit another powerful effort from distance, this time the ball deflecting wide off Oyebanjo. Five minutes later, the former Posh man, who had been Town’s best player since the break, hit a 25-yard freekick into the Reds wall. Walsh appeared to pull Bajner back as the Hungarian broke into the area in the 74th minute but neither referee Andy Haines or his assistant saw it. A minute later Jimmy Smith was booked for a foul on Wordsworth. On 77 midfielder Teddy Bishop was handed his debut, the 18-year-old first-year pro taking over from the impressive Bru in central midfield. A minute later McLeod missed a rare opportunity for the home side when Berra’s clearance fell to him not far outside the area with Bialkowski out of his ground, the former Derby man blazing over. Darren McQueen, the 19-year-old striker signed from Spurs in the summer, came on to make his debut in the 79th minute, taking over from Taylor. Jensen saved from Bajner on 81, Edwards picking up a booking for a foul on Henshall in the build-up. Moments later, Ryan Dickson’s cross from the left found Edwards, who scraped the ball well wide. With a minute of normal time remaining debutant sub Bishop came within a whisker of winning it in normal time. The midfielder unleashed a superb 30-yard strike, which beat Jensen, cannoned off the underside of the bar and out to Nouble, whose first touch took the ball away from him and out of play. Seconds later, as the fourth official’s board signalled four additional minutes, Clarke was booked for a foul. As the end of the 90 minutes drew close, Bialkowski got down to his left to save from McLeod at one end and then, after Henshall had brought the ball forward, Bajner saw an effort blocked. Before either side could threaten again referee Haines blew his whistle to signal 30 minutes of extra time. Town had been much the better side after the break and had gone close to going in front on a number of occasions with Taylor the main danger, but with Bishop going closest with his late effort. Chances were rarer in the opening 15 minutes of additional time, although Bialkowski was forced to come off his line quickly to clear ahead of McLeod. On 11 Hewitt was booked for pulling back a Crawley player. Soon after, Smith sent a dangerous freekick from the left across the face of Bialkowski’s goal. Neither side threatened again before the referee blew for half-time in extra time with Crawley having had the better of the first additional period. And the home side remained on top during the second half of extra-time and in the 110th minute they went in front. After Town failed to clear a Crawley corner on the left, the ball ricocheted around before finding its way into the path of McLeod, who hooked home from close range. The Blues never seriously looked like getting back on terms in the remaining 10 minutes, McQueen’s high and wide effort the nearest they came, and their Capital One Cup campaign was ended by a side from a lower division for the ninth time in 12 seasons. Town really ought to have had the game won within the 90, Nouble missing his first half chance and several players - most notably Bishop - coming close in the second in which the Blues were very much on top. The home side were the better team in extra-time and looked the more likely victors before McLeod netted the game’s scruffy winner. Crawley: Jensen, Oyebanjo, Bradley, Leacock, Walsh (c), Edwards, Henderson (O’Connor 93), Smith, Bawling (Dickson 63), Young (Banya 55), McLeod. Unused: Essam, Rose, Richefond, Isaacs. Town: Bialkowski, Hewitt, Chambers (c), Berra, Clarke, Bru (Bishop 77), Wordsworth, Taylor (McQueen 88), Henshall, Nouble, Marriott (Bajner 63). Unused: Gerken, Wyatt, Lawrence, Hyam. Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear). Att: 3,043 (Town: 823).
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