Crawley created more chances in the game and in the end deserved victory through a goal by Pierre Joseph-Dubois after 70 minutes.

He pounced upon a defensive mistake and surged along the right hand side before launching a well-taken strike from the edge of the area which gave 'keeper Dean Lightwood little chance.

The Boro custodian is actually the club's goalkeeping coach and was pursuaded to play his first match in five years because regular No.1 Lee Hook was unavailable due to a work commitment.

Lightwood was at fault for giving away a penalty when on 15 minutes he brought down Dannie Bulman in the area. However he then made amends when he managed to save the ensuing poorly-struck spot-kick taken by Jon-Paul Pittman.

Paul Raynor took charge of the side and was without Jamie Stevens, Glenn Wilson and Mustapha Carayol.

He made just one change to the starting line-up from Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Grays, Bradley Thomas coming in for Stevens, who has a groin injury.

Steve Evans - who has gone on record saying the Sussex Senior Cup is not a priority for the club - watched from the stand and only appeared in the dug-out briefly near the end of the game.

Part-timers Eastbourne, from one division below Crawley in the Blue Square South, were without striker Scott Ramsay and former Town players Allan Tait, Robbie Kember and Matt Smart due to injury.

Eastbourne managed only one good chance in the whole game, when Matt Crabb's free-kick flew across the face of goal with another ex-Red, Paul Armstrong failing to connect with the ball which would have been an easy goal.

Town on the other hand produced a few decent chances, mainly in the first half, the most spectacular efforts coming from Thomas Pinault, who drilled a shot over the bar and Ryan Hall, on loan from Crystal Palace, who blasted wide.

Crawley will now take on defending champions Brighton & Hove Reserves in the final at Eastbourne Borough on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5.

EASTBOURNE:Lightwood, Baker, Jenkins, Budd, Austin, Ballard, Harding, Armstrong, Atkin, Lovett, Wilde.
Subs: Douglas, Crabb, Archibald, Maynard

REDS:Bayes, Thomas, Thompson, Blackburn, Hall, Bulman, Pittman, Pinault, Murphy, Joseph-Dubois, Krause.
Subs: Cook, Barton, Carter, Nayee, Raynor

Referee:Frank Meilack
Observer MOM:Pierre Joseph-Dubois

Updates:

2nd half -

61mins - YELLOW CARD (Crawley) Ryan Hall is booked for diving on the edge of the area.

67mins - YELLOW CARD (Crawley) Brad Thomas (foul)

68mins - Eastbourne have their best chance of the game when Matt Crabb hit an inswinging free-kick which flashed across the face of goal and for Town player Paul Armstrong was unable to connect and the ball ran out of play.

70mins - GOAL (Crawley) 1-0 Pierre JOSEPH-DUBOIS raced past a defender and gave Reds the lead with a firmly-struck shot from the right hand side of the area.

74mins - Pittman and Hall both had shots blocked.

79mins - SUBSTITUTION (Eastbourne) - Evan Archibald replaces Andy Atkin and Dominic Douglas replaces Paul Armstrong.

83mins - SUBSTITUTION (Crawley) Nick Carter replaces Lee Blackburn.

87mins - Carter sends a great cross from the right win over to Pittman, whose header flew over the crossbar.

90mins - Fourth official indicates a minimum of four minutes of added time.

94mins - SUBSTITUTION (Crawley) - Mithan Nayee replaces Jon-Paul Pittman, but only for a few seconds as the final whistle blows.

Full-time: Eastbourne Borough 0 Crawley Town 1


1st half:
15mins - PENALTY (Saved) Jon-Paul Pittman's poorly-struck spot-kick is saved by 'keeper Dean Lightwood after Lightwood brought down Dannie Bulman in the area.

31mins - SUBSTITUTION (Eastbourne) Matt Crabb replaces Neil Jenkins.

32mins - Thomas Pinault lifts a long-range shot over the bar.

40mins - Ryan Hall hits a shot narrowly wide in a useful attack.

42mins - Crabb has a shot for Eastbourne which is well blocked by Tyrone Thompson.

45mins - Fourth official indicates a minimum of two minutes of added-time.

Half-time: Eastbourne Borough 0 Crawley Town 0