A HUGELY depleted Newport County AFC slumped to a comprehensive defeat at Crawley Town to slip out of the League Two automatic promotion places.

Jamille Matt cancelled out Joe Maguire’s opener after the break but three unanswered goals for the hosts followed before Fraser Franks saw red late on.

It always looked like being a difficult day for the Exiles when the teams were announced.

Tyler Forbes, Tyreeq Bakinson, Matty Dolan and Robbie Willmott joined Mark O’Brien, Keanu Marsh-Brown and Andrew Crofts on the injury list.

David Pipe, Charlie Cooper, Josh Sheehan and last week’s match-winner Antoine Semenyo were drafted into the starting XI.

And manager Michael Flynn, three days after turning 38 and one day after re-registering himself as a player, named himself on the bench alongside teenagers Jay Foulston and Tom Hillman.

Other than a teamsheet error in last season’s Checkatrade Trophy defeat to Swansea City, it was the first time he had featured in the matchday squad since the defeat at Mansfield Town under Graham Westley in February 2017.

The boss had hardly taken up position in his technical area when Semenyo registered the first shot on target after just 22 seconds.

And the frantic start continued as Crawley went straight down the other end to open the scoring on 58 seconds.

Lewis Young was allowed too much time and space on the right to pick out Maguire with his cross and the defender side-footed the ball past Joe Day to claim his first goal for the club.

That was the cue for the hosts to totally dominate the first 45 minutes and they were extremely unfortunate not to extend their lead before the break.

County couldn’t handle the pace and movement of Young, Luke Gambin, Filipe Morais and Panutche Camara and striker Ollie Palmer proved a big handful for Fraser Franks and Mickey Demetriou.

Day was a busy man in the Sussex sun as he twice denied Gambin the goal his performance deserved and also saved from Camara and Morais.

Pipe did brilliantly to block another Gambin effort and County were also thankful for Maguire heading wide from close range and Palmer dragging a shot off target when played in by Camara.

The Exiles briefly threatened towards the end of the first half as the lively Semenyo curled a shot into the side netting and Franks miscued a half volley in stoppage time.

But the only positive for Flynn at the interval was that his side trailed by just one goal when it could have been far worse.

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The manager sent out his players early for the second half and they started on the front foot.

Sheehan did well to pick out Padraig Amond and the striker’s volley was well saved by Morris before the offside flag went up.

The Exiles kept up the pressure and forced an equaliser just before the hour mark as Matt claimed his eighth goal of the season with a shot that looked to be deflected past Morris.

But they hit the self-destruct button again within five minutes as Franks and Demetriou combined to foul Palmer in the box and Morais confidently restored their lead from the spot.

Flynn sent on Mark Harris for Sheehan, but the hosts got the third goal their overall display merited as Palmer headed in unmarked at the far post on 72 minutes.

Substitute Ashley Nathaniel-George then rubbed salt into the wounds by firing into the bottom corner from 20 yards out 11 minutes from time.

And the Exiles’ miserable afternoon was completed when Franks was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Nathaniel-George, meaning they will also be without the influential centre-back for Tuesday’s trip to Bury.

County: Day; Pipe, Demetriou, Franks, Butler; Bennett, Cooper, Sheehan (Harris, 70); Semenyo, Matt (Pring, 80), Amond

Subs not used: Townsend, Foulston, Flynn, Hillman

Booked: Butler

Red card: Franks

Referee: Charles Breakspear

Attendance: 2,157 (336 County)

Argus star man: Day