Crawley Town 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League One, Broadfield Stadium, Saturday 22 March 2025
Bristol Rovers fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Crawley Town.
Kamari Doyle’s 19th-minute finish was the difference at Broadfield Stadium, curling past Jed Ward to secure the win in Scott Lindsey’s first match since returning as the host’s manager.
It was a win that, in truth, the Red Devils deserved on a frustrating afternoon for Iñigo Calderón’s team. The visitors were limited to a small handful of half-chances, of which one was struck wide by Scott Sinclaiir and the other from Isaac Hutchinson saved.
Buoyed by the return of promotion-winning manager Scott Lindsay less than 48 hours before Saturday’s encounter, Crawley started on the front foot in Sussex.
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy looked an early threat for the hosts and was stopped from running through by a well-timed Connor Taylor tackle, before Armando went down in the Rovers box; his calls for a penalty waved away by referee Thomas Parsons.
The Red Devils got a deserved opener on 19 minutes after a swift breakaway down the right. The ball was moved across the edge of the penalty box and collected by Doyle, who coolly curled past Jed Ward.
Doyle could have doubled his own tally just two minutes later, getting a free hit after Ward parried Armando’s effort into his path, only for Crawley’s goalscorer to put his attempt into the side netting.
Rovers were limited to half-chances, the most notable of which saw Captain Sinclair lash wide from 18 yards after latching onto a loose pass in the Crawley midfield, while Clinton Mola also hit an effort across goal in frustration.
But again, Crawley almost got their second before the interval, only for Ward to superbly deny Hepburn-Murphy in a one-on-one situation.
The home side continued to press Rovers’ defensive line early into the second half. Armando bent a curling effort on target from a corner, which Ward was able to hold.
Hutchinson sought to take the game by the scruff of the neck moments later, driving into a dangerous position from his own half and firing an effort on target, which Lo-Tutala claimed.
The double introduction of Shaq Forde and Gatlin O’Donkor added attacking firepower to the Gas side before further substitutions saw Romaine Sawyers return, while Lino Sousa and Sil Swinkels were also brought on.
But chances were at a premium for a Rovers side who struggled to get out of the traps in West Sussex, with the hosts taking all three points to inflict a second straight defeat on the Pirates.
Crawley Town: Lo-Tutala, Barker ©, Fraser, Hepburn-Murphy (John-Jules 70), Armando (Swan 70), Kelly (Forster 57), Ibrahim (Anderson 70), Mullarkey, Doyle, Watson (Camara 57), Flint
Subs not used: Radcliffe
Goals: Doyle 19,
Booked: Barker, Lo-Tutala
Bristol Rovers: J. Ward, Wilson, Mola (Swinkels 76), Sinclair © (Sawyers 75), G. Ward (Sousa 76), Thomas (Forde 56), Taylor, Hutchinson (O’Donkor 56), Butcher, Hunt, Shaw
Subs not used: Hall (GK), Moore
Booked: Wilson, Taylor
Referee: Thomas Parsons
Attendance: 4,421
