BRISTOL ROVERS booked their place in the second round of the EFL Cup after beating Crawley 2-1 at the Memorial Stadium.
Kyle Bennett headed the Pirates in front on 32 minutes, stooping to head in from a Sam Matthews corner.
They could and should have extended their lead, with Tom Lockyer sending a header inches too high and Chris Lines having a goal-bound shot deflected behind.
But Ollie Clarke finally made sure when adding a second six minutes from time, advancing to the edge of the penalty area and firing a low shot into the bottom corner.
Mark Connolly gave the League Two underdogs hope, heading in from close range in the 88th minute, but it proved too little too late for Crawley.
Town’s evening got worse as they ended the game with 10 men, with substitute Dominic Poleon being sent off by referee Lee Swabey for picking up a second yellow card in added time.
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