Harrogate Town 1, Crawley Town 2: Stunning Lolos strike gives Crawley seventh away win of the season

The Reds were 1-0 down at half-time after a long range strike from George Thomson. But a second half fight back and goals from Harry Forster and Lolos secured their seventh win on the road this season.

Scott Lindsey kept the same side who lost 1-0 to Morecambe on Tuesday night as they looked to get back to winning ways after their first loss in five games.

It was a slow start with Reds looking the better team, controlling the ball well. It took until the 10th minute for them to unlock the Harrogate defence as Klaidi Lolos sent Harry Forster clear ion the left and he crossed to Danilo Orsi, but he was stopped by a great tackle and the first corner of the game was won.

Two minutes later and Orsi pounced on a mistake from Derrick Abu and the Reds top scorer tried to cross to Lolos but Sulphurtites skipper Warren Burrell intercepted and cleared for an other corner.

There was bad news for the Reds skipper Dion Conroy went down on 20 minutes and the physio was called on. He had to be replaced by Joy Mukena and Will Wright took the captain’s armband.

Things got worse minutes later when George Thomson fired home from 25 yards after Jack Muldoon’s lay off. It was a terrific strike which left Corey Addai with no chance. That was Harrogate’s top scorer’s 11th goal of the season.

Addai, fresh from his PFA fans’ player of the month award then kept the score at 1-0 with two saves in as many minutes. First he saved low from Matt Daly’s effort for six yards before he tipped over well from Dean Cornelius.

A rare Crawley shot from Jeremy Kelly was blocked for a corner before it looked like a Harrogate defender handled the ball after a tussle with Harry Ransom before the referee inexplicably gave a goal kick.

Darcy then danced into the box after a slip from a defender but his left foot shot was way off target as Reds started to dominate again.

Kellan Gordon was shown a yellow card after he thought he was fouled. The Reds player berated the referee’s assistant after no foul was given.

Reds’ best effort came just on the stroke of half time when Forster got the ball 25 yards out and unleashed a great shot but James Belshaw, making his 200th appearance for the Sulphurites, pulled off a top save to deny the equaliser.

Cornelius was then booked in first half added time before Lolos nearly scored but again Belshaw managed to tip it wide.

Daly had the better start to the opening minutes of second half and twice Addai was forced into saves from Daly. However, on 51 minutes, after patient build-up play involving Kelly, Lolos, Gordon, Williams and Darcy, the ball fell nicely to Forster on the left of the Harrogate box but the winger couldn’t get his curling right foot shot on target.

Thomson then forced another save from Addai after a quick break from the home side before Belshaw saved from Forster’s volley as the game started to be a little more end-to-end.

Forster always looked the most likely and finally on 58 minutes he got the equaliser. A driving run from Ronan Darcy got the ball into the home side’s box, Orsi flocked the ball to Lolos, who headed across goal and Forster was their to poke home. It was a deserved equaliser from the Reds.

Adam Campbell then replaced Kelly for Reds while Josh March and Mark Oxley replaced Stephen Dooley and Abraham Odoh for the home side.

Forster then crossed for Orsi but a defender took the sting out of his shot and Belshaw gathered comfortably. Straight down the other end, Muldoon found space on the edge of the area but Addai was more than equal to his low drive.

But it was the visitors who took the lead in the 66th minute and what a strike it was. Ransom took a quick throw to Darcy from the right, he passed to Lolo who, on the edge of the box, controlled on his chest, before flicking it away from the defender before volleying home. It was a quality finish and the least the Reds deserved.

Nick Tsaroulla, Ade Adeyemo and Jack Roles then replaced Forster, Gordon and Darcy as Lindsey rung the changes. Adeyemo was linking up with Lolos and Roles instantly and they nearly helped extend the lead when they found Orsi in the box. He battled his way to the byline before crossing but Tsaroulla couldn’t get the connection he needed on the ball to make it 3-1 and kill the game off.

Campbell then went even closer when his right foot shot cannoned off the bar with Belshaw stranded. It wasn’t all Crawley though and Anthony O’Connor headed just over from a corner with eight minutes to go.

Harrogate threw the kitchen sink at Crawley as they chased the game but never really troubled Addai, even with five minutes added time.

It was an impressive performance and again showed the character this Crawley side have under Lindsey.

The win kept Crawley in 11th place but just three points off the final play-off place with a game in hand.