UPDATED: Inconsistent Crawley Green are blitzed by Bedford

Inconsistent Crawley Green went down to a 4-0 defeat at hard-working Bedford in Molten Spartan SML Division One on a wet and damp Tuesday night.

Bedford were better in every position on the night, but made a shaky start as Crawley created several good opportunities to take the lead.

Adam Reid was fouled on the edge of the Bedford penalty area in the sixth minute, but Peter O’Donnell crashed the resulting free-kick against a post.

Chris Gibson appeared to be fouled in the penalty area on 14 minutes, but the referee ignored Crawley appeals for a penalty.

Four minutes later O’Donnell went through on-on-one with Adam Bodger, but the Bedford keeper saved well at his feet.

Bedford made the breakthrough when Crawley defender Nick Nolan could only head into his own net from Ian Thorne’s cross on 34 minutes.

The hosts had looked ragged with their diamond midfield formation, but the goal gave them the impetus to make change to a 4-1-4-1 formation, and from that point on there was only one team in it.

And Bedford got a second just before the break when the prolific Chris Johnson got on the end of a Luigi Rocco cross to neatly turn in the box and strike the ball into the bottom corner.

With Crawley needing a quick response to get back in the game they failed in create any meaningful chances during the second half.

As a result, the second period was all Bedford and they increased their lead further when former Crawley player Tom Barnett’s effort from the edge of the area deflected of a Maroon-shirted player and beat keeper Dean Bull as it went in off the post on 77 minutes.

And Bedford completed their scoring moments later when substitute Ryan Smith’s good through ball found Jamie Cole, who rounded the left back and found the bottom corner.

Crawley Green host Kings Langley at the weekend and go to Southall on Wednesday.