Crawley Town are on course for a serious promotion challenge, according to match-winner Dave Harlow.

Harlow scored the decisive goal as Crawley moved up to third in the Dr Martens league premier division on Saturday.

The midfielder drilled in a 57th-minute penalty, his second goal in consecutive weeks, to give the Reds the points.

He said: "We are gaining momentum now and that's with people playing out of position.

"We had Warren Waugh playing on the left wing, Steve Sargent played right-back and Danny Carroll has played there too. Yet we are still sneaking victories so we obviously have a good squad."

Harlow joined Reds from Sutton United in the summer and he is one of a number of new faces still settling in at Broadfield Stadium.

He said: "When everyone is back and fit we should be a force. If we can stay in touch until Christmas, then we should be starting to get to know each other and hopefully we can put in a real promotion challenge. That's why I came here."

Last season Harlow managed just two goals, but this season the midfielder cannot stop scoring. He netted a 30-yard screamer in last week's 4-0 FA Cup win over Fareham Town.

He added: "It is becoming a habit, It's going well. When I scored on Tuesday the game was already won so this was more important. It was great to score the winner. I always look for ten goals a season and I have seven now.

"The team had a little bit of a sticky patch earlier this season. But we have had a few injuries so there are people to come back into the team and we should get even stronger."

Despite the narrow scoreline, Crawley were rarely troubled by Kings Lynn, who offered little as an attacking threat.

Most of the goalmouth action was confined to the visitors' area. In the 24th minute, Crawley almost took the lead in bizarre circumstances when Lynn goalkeeper Steve Wilson blasted a clearance straight at his team-mate Glen Fuff, but Steve Restarick failed to capitalise on the opportunity.

A minute later, referee Stephen Creighton denied the visitors a penalty when Ian Payne looked to have tripped Tommy Wright. The Kings Lynn player was booked for diving and his colleague and former Albion loan player Zeke Rowe also received a yellow card in the incident.

Restarick then went close for Crawley as he just failed to get on the end of Warren Bagnall's low cross.

But it was referee Creighton who was at the centre of the most exciting moments in the game and in the 57th minute he brandished a red card and awarded the home team a penalty.

Waugh released Bagnall through the middle and the former Lewes striker was sent sprawling in the area. The referee thought the guilty defender was Dave Robinson, who had already been booked, so he showed the visiting captain another yellow card followed by red.

However, he eventually changed his mind and booked Glen Fuff for the foul instead. Once the drama had subsided, Robinson stayed on the pitch and Harlow coolly stroked the penalty low past Wilson's right hand.

Thereafter the visitors had more of the play but failed to test Andy Little except for Kristian Jones' 25-yard effort which the Crawley goalkeeper dealt with comfortably.

Crawley manager Billy Smith was pleased with the result having previously described the Norfolk team as "a top six side".

He said: "I was concerned about the game beforehand because I have seen them play but with a makeshift team I was quite happy. I felt we had most of the first half and we defended well, they never looked like scoring. We are a bit prone to letting in easy goals so I was happy with the clean sheet."

Crawley travel to Newport IOW tomorrow night and Smith's injury problems so no signs of abating. The Reds will be without school teacher Danny Carroll who cannot get time off, and Ian Payne is a doubt after coming off against Lynn following a blow to the kidneys.

Crawley: Little, Sargent, Payne, Doherty, Pullan, Harlow, Carroll, Anderson, Bagnall, Waugh, Restarick. Subs: Collins, Holmes, Wackett.

Kings Lynn: Wilson, Dakin, March, Robinson, Fuff, Whitney, Wright, Hayes, Rowe, Clarke, Anderson.

James Nursey james.nursey@theargus.co.uk League tables - Page 30