It took until the second half for them to have anything to show for their efforts, their opening goal superbly put away in the 57th minute by pacey striker Charles Ademeno.

He produced a thrilling piece of individual skill to beat two defenders before expertly finding the net.

Their confidence boosted, Crawley made it 2-0 ten minutes later when a ball from the left found recent signing Calum Willock, who half volleyed the ball into the net with another fine strike.

Kettering made it in an exciting finish with a goal five minutes before the end, calmly converted from the penalty spot by substitute Jean-Paul Marner after Reds' keeper Simon Rayner had brought down Danny Thomas.

However Crawley held on for the last few minutes plus four minutes of added time to complete their third successive match unbeaten.


FULL-TIME: Crawley Town 2 Kettering 1

90+2mins - Crawley are playing time-wasting tactics by holding the ball in the corner of the pitch at the Kettering end.

90mins - 4mins added time indicated.

88mins - Kettering go close to getting an equaliser when Francis Green fires narrowly wide.

85mins - GOAL (Kettering) (2-1) Simon Rayner pulls down an opponent in the box and a penalty is awarded. Jean-Paul MARNER puts away the ensuing spot-kick.

82mins - Louis has a chance on goal but shoots wide from outside the area.

81mins - Sub (Crawley) Danny Forrest replaces Calum Willock, who gets a big round of applause from the Broadfield Stadium crowd.

79mins - Simon Rayner clears a ball into the packed area with his hand.

77mins - Noubisse shoots for Kettering but the effort flies over.

75mins - Sub (Crawley) Jefferson Louis replaces Charles Ademeno, who has to be helped off the field suffering from an injury.

73mins - Sub (Kettering) Danny Thomas replaces Carayol.

69mins - Sub (Kettering) Jean-Paul Marner replaces Moses Askikodi.

67mins - GOAL (Crawley) (2-0) Calum WILLOCK increases the lead when Sam Rents supplies the ball from the left and the striker half-volleyed expertly into the net for his first goal since joining the club earlier this month. He then receives a YELLOW card for removing his shirt during the celebrations.

59mins - Ademeno very nearly scores a second goal when he beats the defence for pace again and shoots from a tight angle and was saved by keeper Lee Harper. Could easily have been a second goal for Crawley.

58mins - The Crawley fans perk up and really make their presence felt with their chanting and drum-banging behing the right hand goal which the Reds are kicking towards.

57mins - GOAL (CRAWLEY) 1-0 Malcolm releases Charles ADEMENO who cuts inside from the right, leaving the defence in their tracks and scores the opening goal. A terrific effort showing great pace and skill.

56mins - Francis Green blasts well over the bar for Kettering.

52mins - Damian Spencer has a chance for the visitors from near the penalty spot and his shot forces Simon Raynor into an excellent save.

51mins - Willock goes wide for Crawley with a shot as the home side are first out of the blocks in the second half.

46mins - Subs (Crawley) Mikey Malcolm replaces Kieran Djilali on the right wing.

CRAWLEY have definately looked the stronger side in the first half, producing a couple of good shots by Thomas Pinault, while Calum Willock is looking to be a good recent addition to the attack and shaved the post with an eighth-minute shot.

For Kettering, former Crawley loan winger Mustapha Carayol is looking a handful on his debut on a three-month loan from Torquay.

He got through on a run and could have got Karl Broadhurst sent-off when he brought down the visiting player down just outside the area, however the referee handed out just a yellow card.

Kettering have not had many chances in a stop-start game.

HALF-TIME: Crawley Town 0 Kettering 0

45mins - Kettering's Askikodi works the ball into the penalty area and gets a shot in but it goes wide from a narrow angle.

42mins - Crawley are pressing forward and Djijali is looking lively on the right flank. A good move ends with Pinault again shooting from around 20 yards powerfully but just wide.

25mins - YELLOW card (Crawley) Karl Broadhurst was lucky not to be sent-off and got away with just a booking for bringing down Carayol just outside the area when he was through for an attack on goal. Moses Askikodi hits the ensuing free-kick into the Crawley wall and the danger is cleared.

24mins - More good work by Willock on the left, providing the ball for Thomas Pinault to launch a superbly struck spectacular shot from 25 yards which looks to be going into the top right hand corner of the goal but instead curls away at the last second.

15mins - Reds have a penalty appeal turned down when Charles Ademeno is tripped by James Jennings but a seemingly stonewall decision is not given by the referee.

10mins - Kieran Djilali on the right-flank tees up Glenn Wilson for a shot from a few yards outside the box but he miss-hits it and it flies comfortably wide.

8mins - Crawley go on the attack and Calum Willock breaks through from the left and shoots across the face of goal and the ball rolls wide of the upright after shaving the post.

3mins - Crawley have a free-kick from just outside the area which Sam Rents hits well over the crossbar.

STEVE Evans made one change to the team, bringing in fit again Glenn Wilson for Eddie Hutchinson.

Fifth-placed visitors Kettering include former Town winger Mustapha Carayol who is making his debut having been signed this week on loan from Torquay.

REDS: Rayner, Rusk, Rents, Broadhurst, Ademeno, Pinault, Djijali, Carruthers, Wilson, Quinn (capt), Willock. Subs: Forrest, Louis, Malcolm, Cogan, Jordan.

KETTERING: Harper, Jennings, Roper, Dempster, Green, Spencer, Carayol, Noubisse, Boucaud, Geohaghon, Askikodi. Subs; Eaden, Wrack, Marner, Taylor, Thomas

REF: Simon Long (Ipswich)

ATT: 901 (119 away)

OBSERVER MAN OF THE MATCH: Adam Quinn