Crawley Town could not make the most of their home advantage as they fell to a 2-3 defeat at the hands of Colchester United in what was a crucial game for both sides.
It was an inconspicuous start to proceedings, Crawley went closest first when Liam Kelly’s free-kick was headed goalwards.
Colchester perhaps looked the better side early on but the hosts went close when, as the clock ticked over to 20 minutes, Jack Roles saw his ferocious effort from outside the box cannon back off the bar.
The visitors then took the lead just a few minutes later as Tom Hopper was on hand to finish off a swift break up the pitch.
Crawley equalised just before the break when a defensive error from Arthur Read was pounced upon by Harry Forster, and he gave the ball to Lolos who duly slotted home the equaliser.
Unfortunately, the scores were not tied for long as Colchester retook the lead through Cameron McGeehan, what felt like seconds after conceding the equaliser.
The U’s extended their lead further almost instantly after the break as Tom Hopper grabbed his second of the game, tucking the ball past Crawley keeper Corey Addai following an error by Will Wright, who gave the ball away initially.
Colchester saw themselves reduced to 10 men late in the second half when substitute forward Samson Tovide was dismissed just minutes after entering the field.
On the whole, Crawley offered little throughout the course of the second half and only really began to test opposition keeper Sam Hornby well inside the seven minutes of additional time at the end of the half.
Harry Forster headed home with just seconds of the game left, but it proved to be too little too late for the hosts, who flooded forwards in search of what would have been a sensational equaliser.
They forced a corner, and Corey Addai was sent forward to cause havoc in the box, yet Laurence Maguire’s header looped agonisingly on to the roof of the net.
It was a frustrating afternoon for the hosts, yet other results from around the league meant the Reds held on to that crucial seventh place spot, and attentions now turn to Tuesday’s clash with Barrow at the Broadfield.
REDS XI: Addai, Wright, Conroy (c) (Campbell 83'), Maguire, Darcy (J.Kelly 71'), Forster, Williams (Adeyemo 61'), L.Kelly, Roles, Lolos, Orsi
Attendance: 5,223 (965 away)
