Crawley 0-2 Exeter: Taylor and Watkins on target for Exeter

Exeter kept alive their outside hopes of sneaking into the play-offs with a goal in each half from Jake Taylor and Ollie Watkins giving them a 2-0 victory at Crawley Town.

The win was City's fourth in succession away from home and it leaves Crawley with only one victory from their last seven home games.

Crawley keeper Callum Preston, making his first home appearance since the end of September, was soon in action with important saves from Taylor and Lee Holmes in the opening 10 minutes.

Striker Shamir Fenelon threatened for the hosts by having a goal-bound shot saved by keeper Bobby Olejnik, before Preston surpassed himself to deny Watkins.

Exeter went ahead in the 28th minute when Watkins set up Taylor in front of goal and he slipped the ball past Preston for his second goal of the season.

Holmes should have doubled the advantage four minutes later but blazed wide following a Taylor cross.

Crawley came close to equalising only a minute after the interval when keeper Olejnik produced a flying save to keep out a fierce shot from striker Liam McAlinden.

Fenelon later had a goal-bound shot parried by Olejnik and the City keeper also did well to tip over a header from skipper Sonny Bradley following a corner by Roarie Deacon.

But Exeter grabbed a two-goal cushion and sealed maximum points after 74 minutes through a powerful close-range header from Watkins after a cross by Taylor.