Jonte Smith learnt today that life under new management in England is not too different than under the old.

The Bermudian was an unused substitute for the third straight match since he was recalled from loan and watched in frustration as Crawley Town succumbed to an 81st-minute goal to lose 1-0 away to struggling Crewe Alexandra, who played the final 37 minutes with ten men.

Chuks Aneke headed in the only goal of the match with virtually his first touch, having been brought on four minutes earlier for Tom Hitchcock.

For Crawley, who slipped to fourteenth in Sky Bet League One and are only five points clear of the relegation places, it was their first match since the midweek dismissal of Richie Barker. Martin Hinshelwood, the chief scout, and Gary Alexander, the veteran forward, are in caretaker charge of the club, but they could not arrest a decline in which the winless run has been extended to eight matches, with only one goal scored.

Smith, 19, who was in prolific form last season during his loan spell with Met Police, would have expected to have been given a run in the Crawley first team this term, but pre-season injury stopped him in his tracks and resulted in him eventually going out on loan to Havant & Waterlooville and, again, Met Police. Although not as prolific this time around, the news that his parent club wanted him back prematurely was positive, especially with Barker’s men amid a slump in front of goal.

Four successive defeats were followed by three draws and the form table suggests that Crawley could soon be in a relegation battle, which, in the third tier of English football, is not for the faint-hearted, let alone an inexperienced young forward trying to make his way.

Crawley’s last league win came on October 19 against Nahki Wells’s Bradford City, who will be looking to return to the promotion play-off places when they visit Oldham Athletic tomorrow. Wells, who was among several Bradford players to fall victim to a sickness bug in midweek, had to be replaced in their 1-1 draw at home to Notts County last Tuesday.