Crawley have suffered a setback to their hopes of a Nationwide Conference place next season.

Premier Division title rivals Kettering hit two late goals to defeat the Reds 2-0.

But Crawley manager Billy Smith was upbeat as he looked ahead to the second half of the season.

He said: "I thought there were some good performances from our boys including Ben Judge and Luke Anderson.

"Defensively I felt we did well enough. Andy Little did not have much to do in goal "But it was very disappointing for us yet I knew it would be a tough game. Even when we won 3-1 at Kettering in August, I could see they were a good side.

"The corner which they were awarded for their first goal never should have been a corner, and a decision to play a short corner by our players later on cost us the second goal.

"The wind was behind us in the first half and that helped us, but it was reversed in the second half and that was a major factor in the game.

"The game panned out the way I thought it would and we did not fill the box enough at the other end.

"Every game is important but we would have liked to have won this one."

Reds had a few chances in a tight game and started the better of the teams.

Warren Bagnall almost capped his return from a groin injury with a goal when he headed Nigel Brake's cross onto the roof of the net after five minutes.

Richard Butcher went close for Kettering when he sent a shot just wide of Little's goal before Bagnall saw his close-range effort cleared off the line by Poppies' captain Martin Matthews.

The match settled down and neither side could break down their opponents' defence.

Reds' highly-rated striker Rob Collins found little joy from the Kettering defence throughout. The weight of expectation appeared to weigh heavily on his shoulders and he was replaced by Ben Abbey.

Classy Kettering midfielder Shaun Murray was unafraid to have a go at goal and his dipping shot just cleared Little's crossbar on 39 minutes.

After the break, Murray went close again with a deflected shot, although Kettering goalkeeper Ian Bowling had to save at Collins' feet soon afterwards.

A pass from Dave Harlow put Bagnall through on 66 minutes but, as the striker drew Bowling, he saw his chip just fly over.

Five minutes later Brake was denied superbly by Bowling's feet from close range while Abbey's first contribution saw his shot hit the post as he burst through the visiting defence.

Kettering broke to the other end where a disputed corner allowed Garry Hughes to steer them ahead with a header after 77 minutes.

They made the game safe when Butcher fired home the rebound five minutes from time when a shot by Murray was half-saved by Little.

Hastings swept to their eighth win in a row with a thumping 4-1 eastern division defeat of Rugby United.

George Wakeling's promotion-chasing side claimed all their goals in the first half. Stuart Myall got the ball rolling in the fourth minute with a close-range volley from Tommy Osborne's nod down.

Soon after it was 2-0 thanks to a superb individual strike from Paul Jones.

Myall grabbed his second after 15 minutes when his corner deceived goalkeeper Paul Shepherd and flew straight into the net.

Hastings added a fourth on 33 minutes through Jones.

Stuart Playford hit the crossbar from five yards and Jones wasted a chance to claim his hat-trick.

The visitors restored some pride when they pulled a goal back through a Robbie Beard penalty after the same player had been bundled over. But they had defender Jason Woodley sent off for two yellow cards.

Eastbourne Borough slipped up 1-0 at fourth-placed Histon.

They went into the game without skipper Daren Pearce and the injured Matt Smart but adapted to the icy conditions and dominated the first 40 minutes.

Matt Allen twice failed to put away good chances and Matt Crabb went close with a 30-yard free kick which forced Histon goalkeeper Paul Barber to palm the ball round the post. At the other end, Paul Stark was in fine form to keep Histon at bay. Borough's control diminished just before the interval when they lost influential midfielder Ben Austin.

But they battled well and looked good for a point against a side that had inflicted four previous defeats on them in the past year. But Histon broke through on 70 minutes when an Adie Cambridge through ball found Jamie Barker who shot past Stark to give Histon victory.

St Leonards suffered an 11th consecutive defeat when they lost 2-1 at Banbury United.

It leaves them just a place above the relegation zone. Saints were the first to master the freezing conditions but they squandered a chance before teenager Mark Lovell, on loan from Gillingham, gave them the lead two minutes before the break with a 20-yard drive from a lay back by Gavin Ramsden. Banbury came out for the second half fighting and after an early scare they put Saints' goal under pressure.

Six minutes into the second half Banbury equalised through Ben Milner with Saints looking for an offside flag that did not come.

A draw looked the likeliest result until seven minutes from time when Saints conceded all the points when Jody McKay tapped home from close range after goalkeeper John Odlum and failed to hold on to a shot by Liam O'Neill.