Stevenage boss Alex Revell criticised his team for an “unacceptable performance and result” after they crashed to back-to-back defeats for the first time since the end of October.
Boro followed up last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Charlton with a flat display at Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium, which prompted Revell to call for a big reaction for this Saturday’s visit of Peterborough.
Revell felt his side should have at least left with a point after Brandon Hanlan had cancelled out Harry Forster’s 50th-minute opener for the hosts, but late goals from substitutes Armando Quitirna and Kamari Doyle gave Crawley a vital win.
Revell said: “It was an unacceptable performance and result. It is not a performance anywhere near our level.
“We gave the ball away for all the goals and you can’t do that as sloppily as we did.”
Revell does not want his side to drift after clinching 14 clean sheets earlier in the season and he added: “We need a result on Saturday to put this right.
“We’ve not had a Stevenage performance so we must make sure we put it right on Saturday.”
Crawley manager Rob Elliot, having already admitted it would be “ an over-achievement” for his young side to avoid relegation, paid tribute to their mentality as they boosted their hopes of beating the drop.
The Red Devils’ first home win for 11 weeks puts then three points from safety, and the former Gateshead boss said: “I am really pleased with the mentality of the players and the spirit of the group.
“Things had gone against us in the previous two games but we had the mentality to go again at home in what was probably a must-win game.
“I was definitely looking for a reaction. We are trying to maximise the technical ability of this squad in the way we play and the culture we have set, and we are trying to do it with young players who are inexperienced and they are learning every day.
“What they showed is they are getting better and that’s what I was really pleased with because it’s the mentality of the group that gets us to that point.
“We could have scored three or four more goals and now we are looking forward to our home game against Wycombe on Saturday when we will give everything.”
