Match report: Some cheer at last for Crawley

After struggling in the first half, the Reds blasted six goals in 28 second-half minutes to lift the clouds which had started to gather over the Broadfield Stadium since Francis Vines was sacked two weeks ago.

Whitehawk only trailed to a Chris Giles penalty at the interval but braces from Andy Lindegaard and Danny Ekoku after the break and further strikes from Lee Blackburn and a second for Giles raised morale ahead of the vital league visit of Southport on Saturday.

Caretaker-boss Simon Wormull, who returned from injury as a substitute but had to go to hospital after the match after falling heavily on his hand, said: "We looked nervous in the first half but I was pleased with the way we played after the break and now we have got to take that form into the league.

"It was always going to open up the longer the game went on but we did a professional job.

"We have struggled to get goals all season so it was nice to score seven and hopefully that will give all the boys a lift as we have some important games coming up."

Crawley started like a team devoid of all confidence and lacking leadership as they struggled to find any rhythm in the first half.

Only the on-loan Lindegaard and Jamie Cade looked like causing the visitors problems as passes frequently went astray and Crawley were caught offside too often.

The visitors almost took advantage of the Reds' vulnerability in the 11th minute when Scott Ward was relieved to see Kevin Townsend's 45-yard lob narrowly clear the bar after Ian Simpemba had been caught in possession by Ryan McBride.

When Crawley did make the breakthrough it was all down to the impressive Cade.

He seemed to have nowhere to go when he picked the ball up in the right hand channel but cut inside and drew Graham Martin into committing a foul just inside the penalty area. Giles made no mistake from the spot, blasting his shot straight down the middle for only Crawley's second goal in five games.

Cade wasted a great chance to double the lead five minutes later when Andy Beech's slip left him clean through on goal but Matt Ades did well to block his shot.

Lindegaard then carved out two good opportunities for Giles to score his second of the night in the space of a minute. First his clever run and dinked pass put Giles through but he sliced well wide and then he headed too close to Ades from Lindegaard's pinpoint cross.

The heavens opened at half- time and it starting raining goals for Crawley as their extra fitness began to tell against Ian Chapman's County League outfit.

Joe Keehan and Neil Jenkins had both wasted good chances before the home side made it 2-0 in the 57th minute. Giles rose above the Whitehawk defence to head Jenkins' corner back across goal and Blackburn had the simplest of tasks to nod home from five yards.

That prompted Wormull to make a double change, bringing himself and Ekoku on for Blackburn and Cade.

Ekoku made an immediate impact as he raced away from his marker before unselfishly cutting the ball back for Giles to coolly slot his second of the match.

That was the first of five goals in 17 minutes as Crawley ran riot against a demoralised Whitehawk.

Lindegaard made it four on 70 minutes when he spotted Ades off his line and hooked a precise shot over the goalkeeper's head and inside the far post.

Ekoku used his pace to devastating effect again four minutes later to make it 5-0 as he raced on to Keehan's through ball and placed a shot wide of Ades. Now Crawley were rampant and a minute later Lindegaard scored his second.

Ekoku completed the scoring five minutes from time when he shot through Ades' legs and Whitehawk were denied a consolation right at the death when substitute Dave Mitchell's shot deflected off Ward's legs and went wide.

Whitehawk boss Chapman said: "The problem when you play against a professional side is that eventually you run out of steam.

"After 70 minutes I was pleased with the way we had played but then we just couldn't get anywhere near them."