Newport County 1-2 Crawley Town: Nadesan leads Reds to victory

Ashley Nadesan's opening goal for Crawley Town was his ninth of the season

Newport County dropped out of the play-off places after defeat at home to Crawley Town, who climb to 12th.

The visitors led when Kwesi Appiah's header found Ashley Nadesan at the back post to finish from close range.

Crawley soon doubled their lead when a slick corner routine gave Ludwig Francillette space for a low strike.

Newport improved after the break and a swift counter saw James Waite reply, but Robert Street was just wide with a header that would have rescued a point.

The Exiles have now lost three successive home games and are a point outside the play-off places, and go to Sutton United on Monday - the side that has just replaced them in seventh.

Crawley are 10 points off the play-offs with five games remaining, beginning with Monday's home game against Walsall.

Newport County manager James Rowberry said:

"We weren't our usual selves in the first half and that has ultimately cost us the game. We need to be better and we will be better and we'll go again.

"I didn't think we were able to get our passing game going, it was too many turnovers in the game from our own doing, we didn't win enough second balls, didn't defend our box well enough.

"But on the positive side of it we addressed a few things at half-time and came out better second half."