Harry Kewell gets better of former team Crawley

Posted Wednesday, October 03, 2018 by PA

Harry Kewell easily got the better of his former side as his 10-man Notts County beat Crawley 3-1 as the Magpies earned back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Kane Hemmings and Jon Stead had the Magpies 2-0 up at half-time and although their on-loan Crawley midfielder Rob Milsom saw red after 66 minutes, substitute Nathan Thomas added a third goal, with Dominic Poleon replying in injury-time.

Notts took the lead with their first shot in the ninth minute. Lewis Alessandra beat keeper Glenn Morris to Stead’s pass and laid the ball off to Hemmings, who side-footed into an empty net.

Stead latched on to Elliott Hewitt’s header over the top to drive a shot into the bottom corner and double the lead just past the half-hour mark.

Jack Payne nearly reduced the deficit late in the first half with a 25-yard screamer, but he saw his shot bounce off the bar.

Payne was lucky not to see red on the hour mark for blatantly pulling back Alessandra on the edge of the box, but five minutes later Milsom was sent off for a crude lunge on Joe Maguire.

Thomas then brilliantly sent a 20-yard free-kick over the wall and into the net, before Poleon converted a decent Crawley move to grab a consolation.