Goals from Gianmarco Di Biase and Danilo Orsi saw Crawley advance to the first round of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup with a 2-0 victory at York City in the Preliminary Round.
Di Biase fired Crawley in front from Kellan Gordon’s 24th minute cross, before Orsi sealed the win through a 86th-minute penalty after Louie Watson had been fouled by Zak Johnson.
Crawley now will head to Watford in the first round at Vicarage Road on Saturday 8 August at 3pm BST.
With ex Crawley manager, Scott Lindsey having replaced Stuart Maynard just last week, York certainly faced an early test against Lindsey’s former side as Watson forced a third-minute from Morgan Williams to keep his shot out of the net.
Klaudio Krasniqi then teed up Malcolm Ebiowei via Watson’s lay-off touch seven minutes later but the winger fired his shot straight into Alfie McNally’s arms.
Seconds later, York enjoyed their first proper opportunity as Ollie Pearce broke forward on a quick counter-attack, only for Charlie Barker to recover to deny him with a sliding block.
Zech Medley then nodded wide from a 22nd-minute corner for the hosts as York began to apply more pressure going forward.
Crawley though managed to create their own counter-attack up the right as Gordon broke forward and whipped a low cross across the box, where Di Biase escaped his marker to slot into the net to put the Red Devils in front.
York were lucky to not find themselves two goals down in the 27th minute as a Crawley attack up the left flank fell for Di Biase, which the 20-year-old cut back for Ebiowei whose shot was flicked behind the left corner by McNally.
The Minstermen nevertheless continued to push for a first-half equaliser as Medley and Pearce played a 39th-minute one-two move into the box, but the defender’s return pass towards Pearce was cleared by Barker as Crawley protected their clean sheet into the break.
Crawley goalkeeper, Vito Mannone further spared the visitors’ blushes with a 50th-minute save of Dipo Akinyemi’s header, before Di Biase saw a shot saved by McNally a minute later.
Crawley soon created their own pressure in the second half as Stephen Duke-McKenna saw a 59th-minute shot blocked, before summer signing – Jude Arthurs headed wide from the subsequent corner.
York almost equalised in the 66th minute but Medley fired Alex Hunt’s cross onto the crossbar, before Pearce nodded wide from Morgan Williams’ headed pass in a 79th-minute corner.
Crawley eventually wrapped up victory in the 86th minute from a spot kick by Orsi after Johnson fouled Watson two minutes earlier.
Teams
York: Alfie McNally, Morgan Williams, Zak Johnson, Zech Medley, Jack Hunt (Felix 67′), Alex Hunt, Ollie Banks, Ben Brookes (Newby 57′), Ollie Pearce, Dipo Akinyemi (Olley 77′), Joe Grey
Substitutes: Ryan Fallowfield, Ben Farrar, Joe Felix, Charlie McArthur, Alex Newby, Greg Olley, Arthur Read, Mark Shelton, George Sykes-Kenworthy
Crawley: Vito Mannone, Kellan Gordon (Russell 53′), Charlie Barker, Priestley Farquharson (Arganese-McDermott 82′), Ade Adeyemo, Louie Watson, Jude Arthurs, Klaudio Krasniqi (Williams 66′), Malcolm Ebiowei (Kamara 53′), Gianmarco Di Biase (Orsi 54′), Stephen Duke-McKenna
Substitutes: Pemi Aderoju, Pele Arganese-McDermott, Jackson Izquierdo, Osman Kamara, Akin Odimayo, Danilo Orsi, Jonny Russell, Nathan Tinsdale, Jay Williams
Referee – Thomas Parsons
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