Carlisle United 4 Crawley Town 2: Gabriele Cioffi's side shows fight after terrible start

Ashley Nathaniel-George scored for Crawley Town during their 4-2 defeat at Carlisle United. Picture by Steve Robards.

Crawley Town conceded four goals in a disastrous opening 30 minutes which paved the way for a disappointing 4-2 defeat in Cumbria.

Goals by Nathan Thomas (two), Callum O'Hare and Hallam Hope set what proved to be a winning lead with only a third of the match played.

Reds pulled two goals back with one by Ashley Nathaniel-George with his second goal in two games to make it 4-1 at half-time and an own goal in the second half, but the deficit proved too much to overhaul.

Head coach Gabriele Cioffi made one change to the side which drew with Notts County on Easter Monday with Reece Grego-Cox returning to the starting line-up in place of Luke Gambin.

Matty Willock returned to the subs' bench in place of Brian Galach, having recovered from injury.

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Carlisle took the lead in only the seventh minute when Nathan Thomas ran at the Reds' defence before blasting a shot past 'keeper Glenn Morris.

The Cumbrians then added a second two minutes later when Thomas scored again with an identical goal.

Carlisle made it 3-0 after just 20 minutes when Joe McNerney lost possession and Callum O'Hare netted the loose ball after Glenn Morris saved an initial shot by Regan Slater.

Thomas was denied a hat-trick from a similar position to his first two goals but the ball was deflected off Hallam Hope for a goal-kick.