Crawley leapfrogged Cheltenham at the top of League Two with a convincing victory over the Robins.

Cheltenham took an early lead when Luke Garbett fired in from outside the area but Sanchez Watt levelled soon after with a 30-yard shot.

Tyrone Barnett's long-range strike made it 2-1 to the hosts before he added a second with a shot from close range.

Watt fired in a fourth for Crawley from inside the box before Darryl Duffy poked home a close-range consolation.

Crawley boss Steve Evans and Cheltenham manager Mark Yates were both sent to the stands at the same time in the second half following a disagreement.

The Red Devils were almost denied the chance to return to the top of League Two but following an inspection at 1845 GMT the pitch was deemed playable despite freezing conditions.

Cheltenham's first League Two away defeat since September sees the Red Devils move above them on goal difference.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Crawley Town manager Steve Evans told BBC Sussex:

"(Cheltenham) are a good side, aren't they? Anyone here tonight sees they're a good side, but this was as emphatic a 4-2 win as it could be.

"This win is down to the fans who cleared that pitch and gave us heroics to get the game on, so from the dressing room that's to everyone of them, and to Ben Harwood our groundsman who's been nothing short of amazing.

"I don't need to motivate my players when the better teams come here. They're up for it. Some of the passing football in the first hour for League Two was sensational.

"That's not a word I use lightly in terms of how we play, but in spells we were sensational."

Cheltenham Town boss Mark Yates (on Steve Evans) told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"I fell for the old one, two - their manager is incessant - and I've held back a number of times and said what a good bloke he is.

"There's a lot of people who don't like him in our league. There's a lot of people who don't like him in football. He does what he does, he riles people and I fell for it.

"I like him. He questioned my integrity first half, completely out of order, completely wrong, I'm not going to tell you what he said. He knows what he said and he got it completely wrong.

"I did and said nothing of the sort, I was talking tactically to one of my players and he accused me of something. He's got under my skin and I fell for it.

"We got beat by a very good team, conditions suited the way they played and first half they were excellent, they were as good as we've seen - no problem with that.

"The pitch was bone hard, I'm not making excuses or sour grapes or anything like that, we got beaten and we'll move on quickly."

Lineup, Bookings (3) & Substitutions (5)

Crawley Town

  • 25 Shearer
  • 03 Howell
  • 04 Mills
  • 05 McFadzean
  • 28 Davis
  • 07 Clarke (Hawley - 87' )
  • 08 Torres
  • 13 Hunt
  • 15 Bulman
  • 10 Watt Booked (Simpson - 90' )
  • 23 Barnett

Substitutes

  • 01 Kuipers
  • 06 Akpan
  • 11 Simpson
  • 22 Neilson
  • 19 Hawley

Cheltenham Town

  • 01 Brown
  • 02 Lowe
  • 15 Bennett Booked
  • 19 Garbutt
  • 22 Jombati
  • 07 Pack
  • 16 Penn (Spencer - 60' )
  • 20 McGlashan (Smikle - 59' )
  • 25 Summerfield
  • 10 Goulding (Duffy - 62' )
  • 23 Mohamed Booked

Substitutes

  • 24 Hooman
  • 08 Low
  • 11 Smikle
  • 09 Duffy
  • 14 Spencer
Ref: Scott
Att: 3,871

Match Stats

Shots

19 12

On target

10 7

Corners

5 3

Fouls

12 10

Live Text Commentary

93:48 Full time

Full Time The final whistle is blown by the referee.

90:00 +3:01

Dean Howell concedes a free kick for a foul on Darryl Duffy. Luke Summerfield takes the direct free kick.

90:00 +1:02 Substitution

Substitution Josh Simpson on for Sanchez Watt.

90:00 +0:44

Marlon Pack has an effort at goal from outside the area missing to the wide right of the goal.

89:40

Sanchez Watt takes a short corner.

88:13 Booking

Booking The referee cautions Sanchez Watt for unsporting behaviour.

87:02

Sanchez Watt takes a shot. Sanchez Watt decides to take the corner short.

86:07 Substitution

Substitution Karl Hawley comes on in place of Billy Clarke.

84:51

Foul by Kyle McFadzean on James Spencer, free kick awarded. Direct free kick taken by Luke Garbutt.

82:58

Tyrone Barnett takes a shot. Blocked by Alan Bennett. Billy Clarke takes a shot. Save by Scott P Brown.

82:00

Foul by Brian Smikle on Claude Davis, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Scott Shearer.

80:30

James Spencer takes a shot. Scott Shearer makes a comfortable save.

77:57

Unfair challenge on Kyle McFadzean by Darryl Duffy results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Scott Shearer.

76:23

Kyle McFadzean fouled by Marlon Pack, the ref awards a free kick. Pablo Mills restarts play with the free kick.

75:46

Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Luke Summerfield by Sergio Torres. Free kick taken by Luke Garbutt.

74:14 Goal scored

Goal - Darryl Duffy - Crawley 4 - 2 Cheltenham Darryl Duffy finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the six-yard box to the bottom left corner of the goal. Crawley Town 4-2 Cheltenham.

73:47

Inswinging corner taken by Luke Garbutt from the right by-line played to the near post, clearance by Dean Howell.

73:10

Unfair challenge on Darryl Duffy by David Hunt results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Kaid Mohamed.

71:40

Unfair challenge on David Hunt by James Spencer results in a free kick. David Hunt restarts play with the free kick.

70:26

Pablo Mills concedes a free kick for a foul on Darryl Duffy. Direct free kick taken by Marlon Pack.

69:12

The referee penalises Sergio Torres for handball. Free kick taken by Marlon Pack.

67:41

Kaid Mohamed produces a right-footed shot from outside the penalty box and misses left.

63:13

Tyrone Barnett takes a shot. The assist for the goal came from Tyrone Barnett.

64:38

Effort from inside the area by James Spencer misses to the right of the target.

63:13

Tyrone Barnett takes a shot. Tyrone Barnett provided the assist for the goal.

63:13 Goal scored

Goal - Sanchez Watt - Crawley 4 - 1 Cheltenham Sanchez Watt finds the net with a goal from inside the six-yard box to the bottom left corner of the goal. Crawley Town 4-1 Cheltenham.

62:19 Booking

Booking Kaid Mohamed is cautioned.

62:09

Direct free kick taken by Scott Shearer.

62:09 Booking

Booking Alan Bennett goes into the referee's book.

61:58

Foul by Alan Bennett on Sergio Torres, free kick awarded.

61:01 Substitution

Substitution Darryl Duffy comes on in place of Jeff Goulding.

58:36 Substitution

Substitution James Spencer joins the action as a substitute, replacing Russell Penn.

58:36 Substitution

Substitution Jermaine McGlashan goes off and Brian Smikle comes on.

58:36

Billy Clarke takes a shot. Keith Lowe gets a block in.

56:23

Billy Clarke takes a shot.

50:41

Corner from the right by-line taken by Marlon Pack, clearance by Tyrone Barnett. Shot from deep inside the area by Kaid Mohamed clears the bar.

47:53

Foul by Kyle McFadzean on Kaid Mohamed, free kick awarded. Kyle McFadzean gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Luke Summerfield. Luke Garbutt shoots direct from the free kick, save by Scott Shearer. Corner taken by Marlon Pack, David Hunt makes a clearance.

46:56

Dean Howell is ruled offside. Scott P Brown takes the indirect free kick.

45:01

The game restarts for the second half.

45:00 +2:39 Half time

Half Time The half-time whistle blows.

42:05

Free kick awarded for a foul by Dean Howell on Jermaine McGlashan. Scott P Brown takes the free kick.

39:18

Unfair challenge on Billy Clarke by Russell Penn results in a free kick. Centre by Billy Clarke, Dannie Bulman takes a shot. Save by Scott P Brown. The assistant referee flags for offside against Jeff Goulding. Free kick taken by Scott Shearer.

38:14 Goal scored

Goal - Tyrone Barnett - Crawley 3 - 1 Cheltenham Tyrone Barnett fires in a goal from the edge of the area to the top right corner of the goal. Crawley Town 3-1 Cheltenham.

37:35

Marlon Pack gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Sanchez Watt. Pablo Mills takes the free kick.

37:00

Foul by Billy Clarke on Alan Bennett, free kick awarded. Scott P Brown takes the direct free kick.

33:39

Jermaine McGlashan is caught offside. Indirect free kick taken by Scott Shearer.

31:41

Marlon Pack takes a shot. Blocked by Claude Davis.

29:53

Tyrone Barnett takes a shot. Blocked by Alan Bennett.

29:53

Tyrone Barnett takes a shot. Blocked by Keith Lowe.

28:48

Unfair challenge on Sanchez Watt by Marlon Pack results in a free kick. Scott Shearer restarts play with the free kick.

25:17

Unfair challenge on Jermaine McGlashan by Pablo Mills results in a free kick. Luke Garbutt crosses the ball in from the free kick.

21:17

Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Billy Clarke from the right by-line to the near post, Kyle McFadzean has a headed effort from close range and clears the bar.

19:22

Corner taken by Billy Clarke from the right by-line, Unfair challenge on Scott P Brown by Sanchez Watt results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Scott P Brown.

13:37 Goal scored

Goal - Tyrone Barnett - Crawley 2 - 1 Cheltenham Tyrone Barnett finds the back of the net with a goal from long range to the top right corner of the goal. Crawley Town 2-1 Cheltenham.

15:44

Shot from outside the penalty box by Billy Clarke goes wide right of the goal. Billy Clarke takes a inswinging corner from the right by-line to the near post, Russell Penn manages to make a clearance.

13:37 Goal scored

Goal - Tyrone Barnett - Crawley 2 - 1 Cheltenham Tyrone Barnett gets on the score sheet with a goal from a long way out to the top right corner of the goal. Crawley Town 2-1 Cheltenham.

12:30

Shot by Tyrone Barnett from deep inside the penalty area misses wide to the left of the target.

11:45

Assist on the goal came from Sergio Torres.

11:45 Goal scored

Goal - Sanchez Watt - Crawley 1 - 1 Cheltenham Goal scored by Sanchez Watt from outside the penalty area to the bottom right corner of the goal. Crawley Town 1-1 Cheltenham.

8:28

Alan Bennett takes a shot. Save by Scott Shearer.

7:10

Shot from just outside the box by Billy Clarke goes over the bar.

6:16

Kaid Mohamed challenges Sergio Torres unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Dean Howell.

5:11

Tyrone Barnett gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Kaid Mohamed. Keith Lowe takes the direct free kick.

4:26 Goal scored

Goal - Luke Garbutt - Crawley 0 - 1 Cheltenham Goal scored by Luke Garbutt from outside the penalty area to the bottom right corner of the goal. Crawley Town 0-1 Cheltenham.

4:06

Marlon Pack takes a shot. Save by Scott Shearer.

2:30

Shot from outside the box by Billy Clarke goes wide right of the target.

1:39

Cross/shot by Tyrone Barnett.

0:44

Foul by Sido Jombati on Sergio Torres, free kick awarded. Billy Clarke takes the direct free kick.

0:10

Sanchez Watt takes a shot. Keith Lowe gets a block in.

0:00

The match gets underway.

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