CRAWLEY TOWN SACK COLIN KAZIM-RICHARDS

Crawley Town have sacked head coach Colin Kazim-Richards after Tuesday’s 3-2 home defeat by Shrewsbury Town. The club also relieved assistant head coach Julian Gray of his duties with immediate effect. Crawley said director of football Erdem Konyar would leave the club. Crawley sit bottom of League Two, with the gap to safety given as five or six points. After the match, Kazim-Richards had said: “If I’m given time I definitely feel I can turn it around.”

Crawley took the lead in the fourth minute when Ade Adeyemo headed in a cross from Stephen Duke-McKenna. Duke-McKenna then sent Osman Kamara through, but Shrewsbury goalkeeper Will Brook saved his shot. Josh Davison scored twice as Shrewsbury came back to win. Crawley’s recorded League Two results include one win this season and seven defeats in their past 10 matches. Their home league results show one point from five games and no win for nearly seven months.

Supporters called for Kazim-Richards’s dismissal during and after the defeat. He said fans had endured hard times and described their reaction as “impulsive, fickle”. In a statement, Crawley credited Kazim-Richards and Gray with helping the club retain its English Football League status at the end of last season. The club also thanked Konyar for his work since returning last year and wished all three well.