Bez Lubala makes amends for spot-kick woe to grab winner for Crawley

Posted Sunday, September 15, 2019 by PA

Bez Lubala made up for a first-half penalty miss with the winning goal as Crawley made it three wins from four unbeaten Sky Bet League Two matches with a 1-0 home victory over Mansfield.

The Stags went close after three minutes when striker Nicky Maynard fired an angled shot across the face of the goal following a nicely-weighted pass from Jacob Mellis.

Mansfield defender Matt Preston got a vital block in at the other end as Panutche Camara’s shot was deflected over.

Crawley, who have scored in every league game this season, were awarded a penalty in the 26th minute when Krystian Pearce was adjudged to have brought down Reece Grego-Cox.

Lubala’s spot-kick was brilliantly turned around the post by goalkeeper Conrad Logan diving to his right.

Top-scorer Danny Rose should have puts Mansfield ahead but his touch was too heavy in front of goal before Crawley keeper Glenn Morris parried a goal-bound shot from CJ Hamilton to safety.

But the in-form Lubala struck his seventh goal of the season to put Crawley ahead eight minutes after the break with a deflected shot from the edge of the area from a David Sesay pass.

Jordan Tunnicliffe then came to Crawley`s rescue by clearing a shot from Conor Shaughnessy off the goal-line.

Mansfield struggled to get back into the game, although Maynard had a header saved by Morris before Lubala put a deflected shot wide at the other end.