Stewart howler gifts the Devils
By Adam Summers

GUY Madjo took advantage of a mistake by Weymouth keeper Jon Stewart to snatch Crawley Town all three points at the Wessex Stadium last night.

The decisive strike came just two minutes after the break when the home stopper dropped a routine cross and allowed Town's leading scorer to lob home his tenth goal of the campaign.

The game had started positively for the Terras, who took the lead through Nick Crittenden but in truth they never reached top gear and after Jamie Cook levelled before the break the home fans found themselves fearing the worst.

For the third successive game the Terras named an unchanged starting XI with Gavin McCallum retaining his place alongside Jefferson Louis up front despite the return to fitness of Stuart Beavon and Stuart Douglas, who both once again began on the bench.

Still hurting from the confirmation on Wednesday of their six-point deduction the visitors started the clash in determined mood and the Terras had to weather some early pressure.

Crawley pressed high up the pitch and it was not long before Madjo found time and space to test Stewart with a powerful shot from 20 yards.

Weymouth seemed to be struggling to keep possession but with their first attack on 10 minutes they took the lead through Crittenden.

The right-winger picked up the ball 25 yards out, went outside his marker and then produced a fine turn in the box before slotting a left-foot shot across keeper Ashley Bayes and into the far corner.

In response Madjo fired a wild volley over the bar but apart from his occasional threat Crawley were lacking invention against a confident-looking Weymouth back four.

However, the Terras were not playing at their fluent best either and at times were guilty of putting themselves under pressure by giving away possession too easily.

The home side's best chance of adding a second was clearly on the break and on 24 minutes they went very close to doing exactly that.

Breaking out from their own half after a Crawley free-kick was cleared, Weymouth worked the ball to McCallum who then showed great vision to put Crittenden through in the clear.

Unfortunately for the former Chelsea man his first touch was a little heavy and that allowed Bayes to come out and make a fine block.

From the resulting corner Ashley Vickers headed another good chance over before the same player then made a vital clearance at the other end after Crawley had put a dangerous cross in from the left.

Town were beginning to look a big threat and after Jamie Cook had a shot blocked by Justin Roberts, Madjo missed a glaring chance from the resulting corner.

The forward looked odds on to find the net after Stewart had fumbled the cross into the box but somehow he sliced his final effort wide of the near post.

That was a huge let off for the hosts who then went close again at the other end when Louis' downward header from Crittenden's cross was saved well by Bayes.

The next goal was clearly important and on 37 minutes it was Crawley who got it to get back into the game.

Dannie Bulman was allowed to cross from the left and when the ball dropped over the head of Scott Doe, Cook produced a fine looping header that cleared Stewart and dropped into the far corner of the net.

Left back Narada Bernard was being given a particularly torrid time and moments later Madjo missed another chance. The powerful forward did well to find a yard in the box but his shot was again off target.

Weymouth clearly needed to raise the tempo in the second half. Three games in six days was perhaps taking its toll because Jason Tindall's men were clearly lacking the levels of energy that had served them so well in their last two encounters.

The Terras' boss made an enforced switch at half-time with Beavon replacing McCallum, who had to withdraw from the action due to a virus.

The hosts had an effort ruled out for offside within seconds of the restart before Crawley went 2-1 up on 47 minutes after a calamitous mistake by Stewart. The stopper came for a simple catch but he spilt it and Madjo was on hand to lob the ball into the net.

Crawley began to frustrate Weymouth although Vickers did threaten at the other end from set-pieces. The towering defender had two half chances but both his efforts fell off target.

On 62 minutes Douglas replaced Louis in a bid to provide a different dimension up front and moments later Vickers was unfortunate again when a Crawley leg blocked his shot during a goalmouth scramble.

Crittenden was still looking Weymouth's biggest threat and on 69 minutes Douglas dummied the talented wide man's cross to set up Coutts but the youngster's shot flew over the left upright.

Beavon then failed to connect properly with a chance at the far post before a last throw of the dice by Tindall saw Danny Phillips replace Coutts.

Weymouth tried to muster a late assault on the Crawley area but the visitors refused to yield and successfully saw the game out.

In fact the Red Devils nearly scored a third when Thomas Pinault advanced into the area but Stewart made a fine save to block the midfielder's shot.