Manager Francis Vines today vowed to rebuild Crawley and make them serious Conference play-off contenders after the league season ended with a whimper.

Vines has already started the search for new talent after this fourth straight league defeat.

Scarborough's 2-0 defeat against Aldershot means Crawley finish 12th and secure a place in next season's LDV Vans Trophy.

There is no denying this impressive achievement bearing in mind Reds are competing in non-league's top flight for the first time.

But the manner in which their campaign ended has highlighted obvious improvements need to be made if Vines is to lead his team into the Football League.

Crawley won once in their last 11 league games and plummeted from second place.

Vines said: "Finishing 12th is great but we have taken six points out of 33 and that is terrible.

"I'm now looking to rebuild for next season and I would go if I didn't think we could improve on what we have got over the summer.

"The good thing about our season finishing early is that I have a week to go and watch players.

"It is only a week but I will probably get in about six games. I will be out watching matches and have a couple of meetings with people as well."

Vines was hugely disappointed with the insipid way his players brought the curtain down on their Conference season.

Reds have been unlucky during their poor run-in but this time they deserved to lose.

They were lacklustre for large periods and some players trying to convince Vines they are worth keeping for next season did not do themselves any favours.

Crawley's best chance on 33 minutes fell to one of those players, Danny Davidson, who was making his first league start since New Year's Day.

The big striker turned defender Kieran Charnock neatly in the box and beat goalkeeper Kristian Rogers with an angled shot which hit the far post and ran agonisingly across the line to safety.

It summed up Davidson's season. The 25-year-old has found it tough since signing from Stafford Rangers last summer, scoring just five goals in 35 appearances.

Midfielder Charlie Mapes was also given a chance to impress with his first league start for two months but failed to impose himself.

Vines said: "Although the team has not had anything to play for over the last few games, I have been saying some players did.

"You would expect more out of them but we didn't really create anything and players didn't look interested.

"It is a real shame because we had supporters who made a five-hour bus trip and they shouldn't have been rewarded with a performance like that."

Davidson has a year left on his contract but his lack of first team action since January, coupled with the fact he came close to joining Cambridge City on loan earlier this season, suggests he is on the way out.

In a funny way, the striker's problem is his size because he is built like a heavyweight boxer but struggles to make full use of his physical attributes.

That goes for the most of the Crawley players, according to Vines.

He said: "We have not been robust enough, especially against teams from the north.

"They are not as silky as we are, they are much more aggressive. I'm not talking about kick-and-run tactics, I'm talking about when they are tussling for the ball. They are more aggressive and we need to toughen up and be that way."

Crawley's soft approach was evident in the winning goal, scored by striker Jonny Allan on 55 minutes.

The lanky forward looks like a featherweight but still managed to beat the Crawley defence to a Michael Carr cross from the right and head neatly over Phil Smith.

Crawley came close to responding in injury time when Neil Jenkins had a long-range drive tipped over by Rogers but it would have been harsh on the hard-working home side had it gone in.

Reds have an opportunity to put things right when they face Ringmer in the Sussex Senior Cup final at Eastbourne Borough's Priory Lane ground a week today.

With expectations at Crawley sky-high, winning the competition would only be a consolation.

But Vines is taking no chances, and has had the County Leaguers watched because he is determined to end the season on a high.

Vines added: "No disrespect to Ringmer but we should win it. We should win it anyway regardless of who we are playing.

"I am going to field my strongest side because I want to win it. I just hope the guys go out there with the right attitude and make sure they win the game."