The Exiles were competitive before the break, but a dismal second-half display proved costly as Crawley seized control through a quickfire double from Harry McKirdy, deepening Newport’s survival concerns.
“It’s obviously disappointing,” said the Austrian. “I thought we were in the game in the first half, but the second half is something that we definitely need to look over again because this was not a team that was actually out there fighting.
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“We had too many players that maybe were too comfortable in the first half and then just didn’t perform to the standard we expect them to.
“Equally, when we went 2-0 down, with the amount of chances we created we still could have got a point from the game. It’s very disappointing. The manner that we approached the second half is just not the team that I want to see out on the pitch.
“It definitely hurts. The boys have been brilliant over the last couple of weeks and a second half like this is just unacceptable.”
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After a relatively even opening period, the contest turned decisively shortly after the restart. McKirdy—who previously had a loan spell at Newport—struck twice in the space of two minutes, finishing from close range in the 57th and 59th minutes to stun the home crowd.
Those goals proved enough to secure a crucial victory for Crawley, lifting them up to 20th place in League Two and providing valuable breathing space in the relegation battle.
For Newport, however, the result leaves them just a point clear of danger, with the pressure intensifying heading into the final stretch of the season.
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Crawley’s new boss Colin Kazim-Richards was understandably upbeat after guiding his side to back-to-back wins since taking charge, but he insisted there is no room for complacency.
“It’s a nice feeling,” said the former Turkey international.
“We move. That three points is massive because this was a six-pointer and we’ve brought a couple of other people down into the fight as well. That’s great, but all we can worry about is ourselves and all we can control is the games that we play. That’s all we’re focused on.
“The job’s not done, but this is a couple of steps towards the job (being done). It’s game by game. We executed the plan very well and I’m delighted, but we have to move on very quickly because we have a game on Monday.”
Kazim-Richards also singled out match-winner McKirdy for special praise after his decisive contribution against his former club.
“It’s always nice to score against your old club,” he added.
“So, for him, it’s a great day. He’s a nightmare to play against. He’s not the biggest, but his heart is massive and he’ll just keep going and going and he gets in the right areas and affects the game all the time.”
While Crawley head into the final weeks with renewed belief, Newport are left searching for answers after a performance their manager labelled unacceptable—knowing that any repeat could prove costly in their fight to stay in the Football League.
