1 min: End-toend first minute. Reds kicked off and straight away Charlie Ademeno was given the ball in the box. From a tight angle on the left he shot across goal but his effort just missed the far post.
Ebbsfleet go straight up the other end and force a corner, but Simon Raynor is out to collect.
Early Yellow card for Ebbsfleet's Leon Crooks, looked slightly harsh from where I'm sitting. Free kick just inside the half-way line though comes to nothing.
10 mins: Strong run through the middle from Danny Forrest. He slips a ball out to the left for Barry Cogan to power into the box, his cutback is aimed for Ademeno but Dean Pooley gets in a good intervening chalenge.
Thomas Pinault curls in a corner from the right which Glenn Wilson meets on the volley 10 yards out but it's only just over the bar.
It's a familiar looking Reds formation here today with Ademeno leading the line with Danny Forrest, Ben Smith and Barry Cogan all operating just off him in midfield.
19 mins: Powerful run from Charlie Ademeno, coming in from the right he glides past a challenge as he charges towards goal. The striker is shoulder to shoulder with Darius Charles and goes down on the edge of the box, but much to the crowd's annoyance the referee waves away the protests for a free kick.
21 mins: Lovely football from Crawley as the work it to Sam Rents on the left, but his cross is just a touch over hit for Ademeno. Still 0-0 here.
22 mins: Ebbsfleet come forward with their powerhouse forward Moses Ashikodi, he tries his luck from outside the box but it flies well over the crossbar.
Entertaining game so far at the Broadfield, although it's still 0-0 both teams are trying to get it down and play football. Just half chances so far though.
27 mins: A ball over the top sees Alex Stavrinou in behind the Reds defence, his touch is instant but as he rounds Rayner in the Reds goal the whistle goes for offside. It was close but he did look a couple of yards off there.
Danny Forrest wins a free kick right on the byline on the right hand side...
Pinault curls in the free kick, Matt Langston rises highest but heads just wide. The tall defender would have expected to hit the target with that chance but he was a little off balance.
34 mins: Danny Forrest really looks up for this one. He shows great determination to win the ball off Charles, but is just a little bit overexuberant in winning the ball according to the ref who blows up for a foul. Still 0-0.
37 mins: Ademeno hurries Pooley off the ball and the striker goes racing down the left. He gets into the box and does a couple of stepovers before Pooley makes the challenge to put it out for a corner. It's taken short to Pinault, his ball to the back post is headed towards goal by Wilson but Pooley is again there to get a crucial foot in ahead of Ademeno to clear.
40 mins: Dean Pooley has injured himself in making that challenge and departs the field on a stretcher. Will Salmon is his replacement.
With five minutes left of the half Crawley are starting to knock at the door. It's been a decent display by the hosts here, but a goal before half time would really come in handy. If any of you keeping up with these updates has an opinion on this game or Crawley Town in general feel free to leave a comment and it will go into these updates
44 mins: Ademeno does superbly to twist and lay a ball to Ben Smith on the right. His low cross is just ahead of Ademeno and it's cleared straight back to him, but this time the midfielder tries to go on the outside of his defender and is muscled off the ball. Goal kick.
Three minutes of added time at the end of the first half. Still 0-0.
It's goalless at half time here at the Broadfield Stadium between Crawley Town and Ebbsfleet United.
Crawley have grown in confidence as the half has gone on and had the better chances. Defender Matt Langston headed a Thomas Pinault free kick just wide and Reds have had a couple of half chances but Ebbsfleet's defence are so far holding firm. Crawley have played some slick football with striker Charlie Ademeno the focal point of most of their good work. Half time Crawley 0-0 Ebbsfleet
45 mins: Ebbsfleet get the second half underway kicking from right to left as we watch them from the press box. Early Barry Cogan shot but from outside box it's curled well over.
47 mins: Cogan gives the ball away to Will Salmon, he sends in a dangerous low ball from the right which Langston stretches to get an important toe to. It's out for a corner, which comes out to Stavrinou but his shot it well over. 0-0
55 mins: Thomas Pinault is given a yellow card, slightly harshly I might add. He won a header with Heeroo but the referee felt he used an elbow to do so.
59 mins: With nearly an hour gone it's been a disappointingly stop-start begining to the second half. Plenty of free kicks by a rather stickler of a referee has led to a disjointed 15 minutes of football. The game is crying out for someone to spark it into life.
62 mins: Ademeno hooks a ball forward for Forrest to give chase. Salmon is always there ahead of him and sends it back to his keeper Lance Cronin, who shows a cocky side to first skip round Forrest and then Ademeno before clearing the ball.
The Broadfield crowd are getting a little restless here, neither goalkeeper has been tested and we've had 65 minutes of football.
66 mins: Cogan is penalised again by some pernickety refereeing when going up for a header, the man in black really hasn't helped the flow of the game today.
69 mins: Leon Crooks does well to shield the ball from Forrest but then overhits his passback to his keeper and it's a Crawley corner, which goes straight into Cronin's hands.
71 mins. Finally some nice football from Crawley. It comes to Wilson on the right, his deep cross drifts towards goal and has Cronin beaten but comes off the top of the bar and out for a goalkick. 0-0
73. Crawley sub. The ineffectual Ben Smith comes off for Michael Malcolm, straight swop.
74 mins: Darius Charles gets in a great challenge to deny Ademeno as he was set to pull the trigger from the right of the box. The ball bobbles out and the linesman gives a goalkick, much to the dissaproval of the Reds fans who voice their frustration.
75 mins: GOAL FOR CRAWLEY. Substitute Michael Malcolm heads Crawley infront.
Really good goal that. The hosts switched the play from left to right, Wilson slipping the ball to Cogan whose fine cross from the right was headed back across goal by Forrest for Malcolm to nod home unchallenged. Crawley's first decent bit of football and they score from it. Crawley 1-0 Ebbsfleet.
79 mins: Let off for Crawley. Salmon sends a cross to the far post where an unmarked Stefan Bailey completely missed the ball. He hangs his head in shame and well he might.
82 mins: Ebbsfleet sub. Gavin Heeroo is replaced by Scott Ginty.
84 mins: Thomas Pinault did well to win the ball off Ashikodi only to give it straight back to him, but the striker's cross is well overhit and it goes out for a throw in.
86 mins: GOAL FOR CRAWLEY. Charlie Ademeno steers the ball home to put Reds 2-0 up and give them some breathing space.
Fantastic finish from Crawley's top marksman. Ebbsfleet couldn't clear their lines and as the ball dropped over Ademeno's shoulder he stuck his right boot out to divert it past Cronin.
89 mins: Ebbsfleet sub Ishmael West on for Ricky Shakes.
89 mins: GOAL FOR EBBSFLEET. A free kick is awarded to the visitors right on the edge of the Crawley box. Ashikodi steps up and smashes it past Rayner to give Ebbsfleet some hope. Crawley 2-1 Ebbsfleet.
Four minutes of added time here.
92 mins: Crawley sub. Danny Forrest is replaced by Lewis Killeen.
Ebbsfleet have a free kick to the right of the box which causes a moment of panic before the referee blows for a foul. A minute for Crawley to hold onto their lead here.
That's it, Crawley have beaten Ebbsfleet 2-1 here at the Broadfield!
Not a classic but second half goals from Michael Malcolm and Charlie Ademeno have been enough for Crawley today. Malcolm's in particular was a fine piece of football just two minutes after the midfielder had come on for the first and a fine finish by Reds top scorer for the second. Moses Ashikodi smashed a 90th minute free kick to give them a chance but in the end it was a fair result.
That's all from me at the Broadfield, thanks for logging on and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Graham Carter
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