Ashley Nadesan at the double as Crawley Town get the New Year off to perfect start against Colchester United

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Ashley Nadesan used to be a supervisor at McDonald’s and was playing for Horley Town. Six years later, he’s started 2022 with a bang.

A local lad from Redhill, Nadesan’s journey to The People’s Pension Stadium had taken him from Horley to Fleetwood Town and then two loan spells at Carlisle United before joining the Red Devils in 2019.

Colchester started the better of the two teams and Crawley had Glenn Morris to thank after he prevented Alan Judge from giving the visitors a first-half lead.

Nadesan’s unselfish channel running has been a positive feature of his career so far as he was found by Tom Nichols down the left flank in the ninth minute. With the forward crossing the ball into the box, Kwesi Appiah skied his effort over the bar.

However, it was the ex-Fleetwood Town man who gave John Yems’ side a 15th-minute lead.

Nichols, who looks like he could easily play at a higher level, created the goal by gliding past Tom Eastman’s weak challenge and chipped a cross onto Nadesan’s head for the opener.

Crawley took control of the game after Nadesan broke the deadlock and their top scorer Appiah probably felt he should have done better from Joel Lynch’s lofted cross, however, the 31-year-old failed to beat Jake Turner from a few yards out.

The Red Devils’ front three were electric causing Eastman and Tommy Smith all sorts of problems. With Nadesan and Appiah often stretching the backline, Nichols dropped into pockets in front of the back four in an attempt to get on the ball.

Yems’ side was particularly impressive at creating overloads on either flank, despite neither James Tilley nor Will Ferry being natural wing-backs.

Their experience playing further forward showed as they tormented the U’s full-backs on many occasions.

It was Tilley who had a hand in creating Crawley’s second in the 37th minute, showing terrific footwork to create space and cross the ball onto Ludwig Francillette’s head.

The Guadeloupe-born defender nodded the ball down into the path of Joel Lynch, who stuck the ball past Turner for his second goal of the season.

Colchester manager Hayden Mullins made a change at half-time as he took off Armando Dobre and brought on Luke Chambers which saw the U’s switch to three at the back.

The change got the visitors on the front foot but Crawley continued to hit the channels whenever possible and Nadesan’s pure pace caused Colchester’s ageing defence problems.

Crawley’s number 10 was rewarded again for his hard work in the 56th minute as a perfectly cushioned header from Appiah’s cross doubled his goal tally for the afternoon.

It was a centre forward display that had a little bit of everything. Nadesan has proved time after time at this level that not only can he be a nuisance but he has the nous to get in the right place at the right time.

Many teams in the lower half of League Two would be extremely happy with a forward line combining the trickery of Nichols, the skills of Appiah and the pace of Nadesan.

As the Red Devils started to relax, Colchester grew into the game and Morris denied Judge for the second time in the game, this time at the back post.

Lynch, who had a fantastic game recording a goal and an assist, should have had a second but he got underneath Tilley’s sharp short corner sending the ball way over the bar.

One positive for Colchester was Freddie Sears, who added another goal to his goal tally this season, with what turned out to be a consolation in the 79th minute.

U’s fans must be wondering why Fulham loanee Sylvester Jasper didn’t start as he showed the direct attacking play missing from the majority of their performance to set up Sears, whose clever near-post flick beat Morris.

Yems will be furious that his side failed to keep a clean sheet despite his side defending solidly for the majority of the match.

It is the first time for over a year that Crawley have scored three goals at home and the Crawley managers seems to have found a winning formula with the 3-4-3 setup.

If Nadesan can build on his goal scoring form then it is unlikely the Red Devils will be worried by relegation and may even push on for the play-offs.

Colchester will need to look in the transfer market to find some younger players because it seems they cannot rely on some of the older pros to produce vintage performances.

Crawley up to 14th while Colchester remain in a worrying 20th place and could be dragged into a relegation dogfight if they don’t strengthen in January.

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