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jonte Smith

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A strong Crawley Town Reserve side that saw 17-year-old Jonte Smith who recently signed a professional contract to play for the Club come off the bench in the 83rd minute, eased to a 4-2 win over Cheltenham in the Reserve Teams Final Combination game of the season at the Broadfield Stadium.

Sanchez Watt and Hope Akpan scored in the first half with John Akinde setting up both goals, before Akinde scored two penalties in the second period.

Cheltenham pulled back two goals in the last six minutes but Crawley thoroughly deserved to win an entertaining game.

Every member of the starting XI has played in the first team this season with Pablo Mills, occupying a central midfield role, David Hunt and Warren Cummings among those in action.

Crawley made the early running with Akpan and Scott Neilson just off target but the visitors came back into the game and Bagasan Graham had two chances in as many minutes, side-footing wide from a good position before seeing an effort blocked by John Dempster.

Crawley playing at home broke the deadlock in the 19th minute. Cummings' free kick from the left was headed back across goal by Akinde and Watt powered a header past Cheltenham keeper Joe Perry.

Akinde and Watt were off target as Reds continued to dominate but Scott Shearer was called into action in the 43rd minute when he blocked Steve MacLean's shot with his legs.

Crawley doubled their lead with the last action of the first half. Akinde headed Ben Smith's cross into the path of Akpan and he beat Perry with the aid of a slight deflection with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.

Crawley stretched their lead four minutes into the second period when Perry hacked down Akinde as they contested a through ball and the referee pointed to the spot before brandishing a yellow card to the Cheltenham goalkeeper.

Akinde drove the penalty low and hard into the corner.

Akinde blazed over twice from good positions and then headed wide from an inviting cross by Cummings as Reds hunted further goals before Perry palmed away a stinging drive from Pablo Mills.

The fourth Crawley goal arrived 12 minutes from time when Perry again brought down Akinde in the box and after receiving treatment he was sent the wrong way by a confident penalty from the Crawley No.9.

Smith then replaced Akinde with seven minutes to go, but Cheltenham pulled a goal back five minutes from time through substitute Joe Hanks after a neat lob from MacLean had come back off the crossbar and made it 4-2 from the spot through MacLean after Glenn Wilson was adjudged to have brought down Ethan Gage.