DANILO Orsi’s late penalty equaliser rescued a point for Crawley, pushing them just clear of the relegation zone.
The Red Devils’ sigh of relief was palpable, as the goal was their second shot on target in the game after captain Jay Williams’ shot was cleared off the line in the fifth minute.
The point means manager Scott Lindsey’s men move past Newport County into safety, but only on goal difference.
From the get-go, it was clear that Crawley were fighting to stay in the division, with players battling for everything and passion frequently bubbling over, even early on.
Free kicks to Barnet were given as early as the third minute, with 29 fouls being committed throughout the game, 19 of which came from those in red.
This passion has been a mainstay of Crawley games, with six yellows being given out to Lindsey’s side in their last game, despite it being an uneventful 0–0.
Barnet didn’t take this lying down, however, matching the home side’s aggression.
The Bees dominated the game’s good chances, eventually taking the lead in the 56th minute when a header across goal from Adam Senior was bundled in chaotically by Mark Shelton.
The final third showed the clear gap between the teams, with the final ball from Crawley frequently ending up at the feet of Barnet defenders or sailing over the heads of any possible attacker.
However, the game lacked a quality finisher, with Barnet’s few quality chances not being capitalised on—something they were made to rue when the Bees’ Rhys Brown brought down Kellan Gordon in the box following a rare piece of well-worked play in the travelling side’s box.
The goal saw tensions peak when a large altercation between multiple players on both teams forced referee Harry Wager to intervene, but this was soon quashed.
The point lifts Crawley back above Newport, with only a goal difference of four separating them. Many Reds fans will be worried about the drop—and even more worried about the performance.
