Manager hails Crawley effort as Torres strike condemns Derby

Crawley Town 2 Derby County 1

(GETTY IMAGES )

The Crawley Town manager Steve Evans believes his side were worthy winners after Sergio Torres's injury-time strike earned a 2-1 win over Derby County in their third-round match last night.

Miles Addison marked his first start for Derby after 12 months of injury by cancelling out Craig McAllister's first-half opener for the hosts with a 62nd-minute header.

But Derby, who missed a penalty through Kris Commons, saw their hopes of a replay snuffed out in stoppage time when Torres converted Dean Howell's corner to put the Conference side through.

"It's up there with the best of them," said Evans, whose side will now face a trip to Torquay in round four. "This club has had some great results but given the performance you have to say that we deserved it.

"We've got the squad to deal with a cup run. We've got a few players who some would say are better than what we had out tonight so one or two of them might freshen us up.

"I'm not surprised how well we matched them, Derby have got some terrific footballers who can play some terrific football and let's not forget it would have been hard for anyone coming here."

Evans and opposite number Nigel Clough have rarely seen eye to eye and the Derby manager, who was incensed when Matt Tubbs escaped with just a booking for a two-footed tackle on Robbie Savage, refused to speak to the press after the game.

Crawley Town (4-4-2): Kuipers, Wilson, McFadzean, Mills, Howell, Neilson (Hunt, 73), Smith (Cook, 90), Bulman, Torres, Tubbs, McAllister (Brodie, 67). Substitutes not used: Shearer (gk), Rents, Napper. Booked Tubbs.

Derby County (4-4-2): Bywater, Brayford, Green, Barker, Roberts (Davies, 90), Bailey, Savage (Moxey, 84), Addison, Pringle (Cywka, 62), Porter, Commons. Substitutes not used: Deeney (gk), Leacock, Buxton, Bueno. Booked Bailey.

Referee M Haywood (West Yorkshire).

* A man has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting Stevenage's Scott Laird, who was punched as he celebrated his team's 3-1 victory over Newcastle in the FA Cup on Saturday.