Salford get the better of Crawley in seven-goal thriller

Substitute Kallum Ceesay scored a dramatic late winner as Salford beat Crawley 4-3 in a breathless League Two encounter.

Crawley began the game brightly and opened the scoring after 33 minutes when Salford defender Adebola Oluwo deflected Jay Williams’ shot into his own net.

But the centre-back atoned for his own goal as he fired a curling effort into the top corner to draw Salford level in first-half stoppage time.

Crawley were awarded a penalty in the opening minute of the second half, but Salford goalkeeper Matthew Young kept out McKirdy’s spot-kick with a fine diving save.

McKirdy’s miss was compounded when Matt Butcher turned home an inch-perfect free-kick from Jorge Grant to give Salford a 53rd-minute lead.

The visitors turned the game on its head when Harry Forster deceived Young with a clever 57th-minute free-kick before Williams met Jack Roles’ corner with a powerful header to put Scott Linsey’s side in front with 18 minutes left.

But this topsy-turvy game took another dramatic twist when Josh Austerfield headed home a teasing cross from Kadeem Harris after 85 minutes to set up a grandstand finish.

Salford completed the remarkable turnaround a minute later when Cesay, played clean through on goal by Austerfield, coolly swept home under pressure to seal victory.