Gibbs has played in the Carling Cup for Arsenal first team and he made easy work of finding the net for the Premier League club, slotting in first time from a closs by the influential No.10, Dutch Under-19s international Nacer Barazite.

Kick-off was delayed until 3.20pm because the Gunners' coach was held up on the M25.

It was a better test for Crawley's Conference preparations than when they beat Spurs 6-1 on Tuesday night.

The first half was competitive, with Reds' defence holding up well against the dangerous attacking play of the Gunners' youth team.

Town made four changes to the starting line-up, bringing in Simon Rayner, Jamie Stevens, Sam Rents and Dannie Bulman, who wore the captain's armband in place of Nicky Morgan, Simon Weatherstone, Glenn Wilson and Jake Wright.

Former Arsenal traineee Paulo Vernazza, who was most recently at Weymouth, was named on the bench for the first time as part of a trial.

He came on for Thomas Pinault in midfield at the start of ther second half, but had to go off after half an hour with a niggling injury.

Jamie Cook had a good early chance for Reds on 25 minutes, heading over the bar a nicely teed up cross by Stevens.

Pinault hit the stanchion from the edge of the box nine minutes later, as Reds failed to take their chances.

Arsenal fielded a team which included Kieran Gibbs, who made his first team debut against Inter Milan in the Emirates Cup last year and has been called the 'New Ryan Giggs' by first team boss Arsene Wenger.

He has also played for England Under-19s along with Sussex-based Rhys Murphy, who was on the bench.

Arsenal pushed forward midway through the first half and created three scoring chances as Rui Fonte had a shot saved by Rayner before Crawley's Lewis Killeen cleared the loose ball off the line.

Kyle Bartley also forced a save from Rayner before Fonte headed a cross from Jay Thomas narrowly wide.

The Gunners were firing well and must have been disappointed not to take the lead at the end of the first half when Rayner made fine save to stop a shot from short-range by Barazite.

Both sides made several substitutions in the second half as Arsenal their quality tell with sustained pressure.

Substitute Thomas Cruise forced the flapping Rayner to drop the ball againbst the right post on 70 minutes, before Chris Giles, who was Man of the Match with an assued display in central defence, cleared from the feet of Fonte.

A minute later and the Gunners made the breakthough, taking the led through good work by Barazite down the left before his cross was calmly put away by the unmarked Gibbs.

Barazite nearly got on the scoresheet himself when he side-footed a shot wide of the diving Rayner, who managed to push the shot wide with his fingertips to keep Crawley in the game.

Finally, the competitive nature of the game was highlighted as Rayner raced to the opposite end of the pitch to try to head home a corner off the final attack of the game.



FULL-TIME Crawley Town 0 Arsenal XI 1
ATTENDANCE: 2,341
MAN OF THE MATCH: Chris Giles

87mins - SUBSTITUTION (Crawley) Nick Carter replaces Lewis Killeen

77mins - The Gunners have stepped up a gear and almost added a second but for keeper Rayner, who fingertipped a save away to deny Barazite.

75mins - SUBSTITUTION (Crawley) Nayee replaces Vernazza.

75mins - SUBSTITUTION (Arsenal) Luke Ayling replaces Paul Rogers.

71mins GOAL (Arsenal) 0-1 Unmarked KIERAN GIBBS opened the scoring for the Premier League club with a first time shot from 10 yards from a cross from the left by Barazite.

70mins - Arsenal so nearly tok the lead through substitute Thomas Cruise, whose mishit a cross which cannoned off the right hand post as Rayner flapped at the ball. Chris Giles cleared the attack before Fonte could pounce.

Arsenal brought on Frimpong, Cruise and Murphy for Steer, Dunne and Watt.

Crawley replaced Isiah Rankin with Jake Wright on 52 mins and Dannie Bulman was replaced by Glenn Wilson on 58 mins. Simon Weatherstone and Paulo Vernazza came on at the start of the second half for Danny Forrest and Thomas Pinault.

HALF-TIME Crawley Town 0 Arsenal 0
42mins - Nacer Barazite has a powerful shot for Arsenal which is well stopped from a narrow angle and at short-range by Rayner.

34mins - Crawley reply at the other end with a good shot from the eddge of the box by Thomas Pinault which hit the stanchion.

25mins - Jamie Cook goes close with a header for Crawley following a cross by Jamie Stevens.

26mins - Rui Fonte nearly scores for Arsenal but is denied off the line by Lewis Killeen.

26mins - Kyle Bartley and Fonte both have good chances, Bartley kept out by Simon Rayner, while Fonte's header flew narrowly wide.

Steve Bould included midfield sensation Kieran Gibbs, who played for Arsenal's first team in the Emirates Cup last season against Inter Milan.

England Under-18s international Rhys Murphy and Netherlands Under-19s player Nacer Barazite were both in the squad.

Reds' boss Steve Evans made three changes to the side which thrashed Spurs XI 6-1 on Tuesday night, bringing in goalkeeper Simon Rayner and defenders Jamie Stevens and Sam Rents.

Simon Weatherstone, Glenn Wilson and Jake Wright were all dropped to the subs' bench. Evans named former Arsenal and Weymouth player Paolo Vernazza among his substitutes.

ARSENAL XI: Wojciech Szczesny, Paul Rogers, Jay Thomas, Abu Ogogo, Rene Steer, James Dunne, Kieran Gibbs, Nacer Barazite, Rui Fonte, Kyle Bartley, Sanchez Watt. Subs: Rhys Murphy, James Shea, Thomas Cruise, Luke Ayling, Emmanuel Frimpong, Craig Eastman

REDS: Simon Rayner, Jamie Stevens, Sam Rents, Brad Thomas, Chris Giles, Dannie Bulman, Danny Forrest, Isaiah Rankin, Jamie Cook, Thomas Pinault, Lewis Killeen. Subs: Simon Weatherstone, Glenn Wilson, Jake Wright, Nick Carter, Mithun Nayee, Paolo Vernazza, Nicky Morgan