Accrington Stanley continued their march towards the Conference title with a smash-and-grab raid at Crawley.
Gary Roberts' stunning strike four minutes before half-time extended the league leaders' unbeaten run to 17 games.
Defeat left Crawley in the relegation zone and heaped more misery on them following a week of off-the-field problems.
Two days after the players were put up for sale and had their wages cut by 50 per cent, they produced a spirited display and had the best chances before Roberts' decider.
Daryl Clare had a side-footed effort cleared off the line by Dan Ventre early on. Then Steve Burton saw his towering header pushed spectacularly round a post by Rob Elliot.
Crawley keeper Phil Smith kept his side in the game with two superb saves, first from Paul Mullin's close-range volley and then from a 20-yard pile-driver from Ian Craney.
But he could do nothing to stop Roberts at the end of the first half. The England semi-professional international collected the ball on the corner of the penalty area and curled a superb shot over Smith and into the top corner.
The home side tried to rally after the break and had a couple of half chances through Omari Coleman and Clare, before substitute Andrew Mangan squandered a golden opportunity to seal it for Accy late on.
He ran clear on goal after Crawley had been caught on the break, but Smith was equal to him and smothered at his feet.