Exeter City 0-1 Crawley Town

Exeter City are still searching for their first point of the season as Crawley Town completed the ultimate smash-and-grab at St James' Park.

The home side dominated the first half and went in at the break wondering how they had not gone in front.

Ollie Watkins hit the crossbar with a spectacular overhead kick, while Liam McAlinden spurned the chance to head Exeter in front when he missed a header from Robbie Simpson's header back across goal.

Jason Banton was Crawley's most dangerous player and he curled a shot wide from 20 yards at the beginning of the second half.

Exeter's best chance fell to Watkins after 68 minutes when a partially-cleared cross fell at his feet, but he rushed his finish and screwed his shot high over the bar.

Exeter were beginning to run out of ideas and Crawley hit them on the break with the only goal of the game with six minutes remaining.

Poor defending allowed Josh Yorwerth to walk through the Exeter defence and plant a low shot into the bottom corner from 15 yards.

Lloyd James curled a free-kick over the bar in stoppage time, but that was Exeter's only real effort at goal after Yorwerth's strike.

Report supplied by the Press Association.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Exeter

• 1Olejnik
• 31Sweeney
• 26Ampadu
• 16Oakley
• 15Moore-Taylor
• 25TaylorSubstituted forMcCreadyat 90+1'minutes
• 4JamesBooked at 81mins
• 7Harley
• 14Watkins
• 8SimpsonBooked at 66mins
• 19McAlindenSubstituted forRiley-Loweat 59'minutes

Substitutes

• 2McCready
• 3Woodman
• 6Tillson
• 20Jay
• 23Riley-Lowe
• 30Pym
• 39Brown

Crawley

• 13Mersin
• 2Young
• 5Davey
• 6Connolly
• 14BlackmanBooked at 85mins
• 7Boldewijn
• 4PayneSubstituted forYorwerthat 81'minutes
• 8Smith
• 10BantonSubstituted forBawlingat 84'minutes
• 18CliffordSubstituted forHarroldat 67'minutes
• 19CollinsBooked at 47mins

Substitutes

• 1Beeney
• 3Arthur
• 9Harrold
• 15Yorwerth
• 17Bawling
• 22McNerney
• 23Pappoe

Referee:

Oliver Langford

Attendance:

2,660

Match Stats

Home TeamExeterAway TeamCrawley

Possession

Home52%

Away48%

Shots

Home8

Away5

Shots on Target

Home2

Away2

Corners

Home5

Away1

Fouls

Home3

Away11

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Exeter City 0, Crawley Town 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Exeter City 0, Crawley Town 1.

Posted at 90'+4'

Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+4'

Foul by Enzio Boldewijn (Crawley Town).

Posted at 90'+3'

Attempt missed. James Collins (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt missed. Lloyd James (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.

Substitution

Posted at 90'+1'

Substitution, Exeter City. Tom McCready replaces Jake Taylor because of an injury.

Posted at 90'+1'

Ryan Harley (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Josh Yorwerth (Crawley Town).

Posted at 90'

Matt Oakley (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Matt Harrold (Crawley Town).

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Crawley Town. Bobson Bawling replaces Jason Banton.

Goal!

Posted at 83'

Goal! Exeter City 0, Crawley Town 1. Josh Yorwerth (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Matt Harrold.

Posted at 82'

Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Lewis Young.

Substitution

Posted at 81'

Substitution, Crawley Town. Josh Yorwerth replaces Josh Payne.

Booking

Posted at 81'

Lloyd James (Exeter City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 80'

Josh Payne (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 80'

Foul by Lloyd James (Exeter City).

Posted at 78'

Attempt blocked. Ryan Harley (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 77'

Attempt saved. Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at 76'

Attempt missed. Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Crawley Town. Matt Harrold replaces Billy Clifford.

Booking

Posted at 66'

Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Jake Taylor (Exeter City).

Posted at 64'

Andre Blackman (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution

Posted at 59'

Substitution, Exeter City. Connor Riley-Lowe replaces Liam McAlinden.

Posted at 59'

Attempt missed. Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 58'

Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 58'

Foul by Andre Blackman (Crawley Town).

Posted at 57'

Pierce Sweeney (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 57'

Foul by Jason Banton (Crawley Town).

Posted at 54'

Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 54'

Foul by Lewis Young (Crawley Town).

Booking

Posted at 47'

James Collins (Crawley Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 47'

Ethan Ampadu (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 47'

Foul by James Collins (Crawley Town).

Second Half

Posted at

Second Half begins Exeter City 0, Crawley Town 0.

Half Time

Posted at 45'+1'

First Half ends, Exeter City 0, Crawley Town 0.

Posted at 45'+1'

Attempt missed. Josh Payne (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right following a corner.

Posted at 45'

Corner, Crawley Town. Conceded by Ethan Ampadu.

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