Tomlin ends drought to rescue Reds
Gavin Tomlin rescued a well-deserved point for Crawley in an absorbing 1-1 home draw with Chesterfield.
Tomlin's sweet 70th-minute leveller, his first goal in 17 games for the Reds, cancelled out a superb Gary Roberts strike to extend Crawley's unbeaten league run to six matches.
Both sides ended the game with 10 men after an extraordinary 21-man melee in time added on, which saw home striker Izale McLeod and Chesterfield defender Daniel Jones dismissed by referee Graham Horwood.
A high-intensity Chesterfield started quickly and hustled Crawley out of their stride and pressed forward at a pulsating pace.
The influential Irishman Jay O'Shea saw his 25th-minute shot cleared off the goal-line by defender Dean Leacock, before Lanre Oyebanjo came to Crawley's rescue to keep out an effort by right-back Tendayi Darikwa.
The home side eventually came to life though when Jimmy Smith rattled the visitors' crossbar with a fierce right-footed shot and McLeod blasted narrowly wide from 10 yards after a surging run by Ryan Dickson.
The Crawley left-back later saw a header kept out by the woodwork and Tomlin hesitated when unmarked five yards out with only goalkeeper Tommy Lee to beat shortly after the break.
Roberts broke the deadlock for the Spireites a minute shy of the hour-mark with a wonderful left-footed finish after Crawley's retreating defence had allowed the winger to advance unchallenged into the box.
But the home side responded positively to going behind and were rewarded 11 minutes later when Tomlin, put through by substitute Lewis Young, converted coolly when one-on-one with goalkeeper Lee to record his first goal in Crawley colours.
Source: PA
