Grays Athletic

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Preston Edwards

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Grays Athletic 2-3 Crawley Town

Grays Athletic suffered more misery this festive season as they followed up a 2-1 loss to Ebbsfleet on Boxing Day with a 3-2 reverse at home to Crawley Town on Monday.

A Charles Ademeno hat-trick inside an incredible six minutes condemned Grays to defeat. The home side responded with Jake Reid converting a penalty and Folawiyo Onibuje's header reducing the deficit still further but Crawley held on for all three points.

Grays are second from bottom on 17 points, someway clear of Chester on minus 3 and five points behind Ebbsfleet, who are two points clear of the relegation zone while Crawley are sitting comfortable in 10th having picked up their third successive away victory.

It took Ademeno just two minutes to find the back of the net as he took advantage of some sloppy defending to finish from close range. Ademeno then made it two just three minutes later as after finding himself in space in the box, he rounded Preston Edwards in the Grays goal. Number three came less than a minute later as Ademeno followed up a save by Edwards from Mikey Malcolm's header to stun the home support.

Grays were not down and out though as they dusted themselves off and began to find their feet.

Onibuji had the home side's first chance as his header found the Crawley woodwork but it was a referring decision that was to get them back in the tie.

Karl Broadhurst was adjudged to have fouled Onibuje in the box and Reid made no mistake with his kick

With the first half winding down and Crawley with one eye on the change rooms, Onibuje scored the goal that his play had deserved when he got his head to a Reid cross.

A revitalised Grays came out for the second period as they went in search of an equaliser while Crawley struggled to string much in the way of an attack.

Onibuje thought he had scored after being set up by Richard Graham but his shot missed the goal by a matter of inches.

Ademeno continued to look the away side's most notable threat but he too could only shoot wide as the match wore down but it wouldn't matter as Crawley held on for the win.

Grays Athletic bookings: None.

Crawley Town bookings: None.

Att: 505.

Ref: Mark McLaughlin.