Barnet 1 Crawley 2: Smith brace seals Reds' away victory

The Reds skipper gave them the lead in the 62nd minute with a tremendous shot from the just inside the area.

Barnet soon hit back, levelling two minutes later through substitute Simeon Akinola.

Reds had looked the better throughout and Smith sealed a deserved late victory with his second goal of the game with just two minutes to go.

Harry Kewell made three changes to the team which lost against Notts County last week with Mark Connolly, Jordan Roberts and Aryan Tajbakhsh, who made his season’s league debut, coming into the side.

Dannie Bulman, Josh Payne and Mark Randall were all on the bench.

Barnet made one change with left back Andre Blackman who started the season at Crawley, returning against his former club from suspension.

Reds were playing with Cedric Evina and Louis Young moving up the wings, leaving Connolly, Josh Yorwerth and Josh Lelan at the back.

Ibrahim Meite, Roberts and Enzio Boldewijn were playing up front, with the Dutchman tracking back when Barnet had the ball.

Crawley made a great start and it was one-sided in the opening 15 minutes as Roberts twice fired over the bar and another effort from Louis Young flew over.

Boldewijn was so close to scoring when he struck a cross from Roberts against the crossbar, it bounced on the line but did not cross it.

Jimmy Smith blasted a powerful low shot from 18 yards which forced a great save by keeper Craig Ross before Smith drove another shot wide.

At the other end, Glenn Morris made a fine double-save to deny shots by Harry Taylor and Shaq Coulthirst.

Blackman finished a move with a powerful strike which was blocked by the defence and went out for a corner.

Ibrahim Meite’s run and cross found Young whose effort was blocked.

In the second half Reds twice went so close to scoring in the first ten minutes. First Meite was denied on the line then Cedric Evina set-up Smith for a glancing header which rolled across the face of goal.

Jimmy Smith put Crawley in front with a fine shot from the edge of the box after good work by Boldewijn.

However Reds only held the lead for two minutes as Barnet equalised in the 64th minute through substitute Akinola with a tap-in goal less then a minute after coming on the pitch.

Ross did well to deny a shot by Boldewijn as Reds went in search of a late winner.

Jimmy Smith then caused the noisy visiting fans to erupt with joy when he headed in Reds’ 88th minute winner from a great cross by Connolly to send the supporters home happy.

REDS: Morris, Young, Connolly, Boldewijn, J.Smith (capt), Roberts, Yorwerth, Evina, Tajbakhsh (Randall 74), Lelan, Meite (Camara 83)

Unused subs: Mersin, Doherty, Payne, Doherty, Payne, Bulman, Sanoh

BARNET: Ross, Clough, Nelson, Campbell-Ryce, Coulthirst, J.Taylor (Founguck 74), Tutonda, H.Taylor (Mars 90), Vilhete, Blackman, Apa Akpro (Akinola 63)

Unused subs: McKenzie-Lyle, Bover, Mason-Clark, D.Smith

REFEREE: Darren Handley

ATTENDANCE: 1,602 (196 away)