They hit the woodwork twice either side of half time before Aaron McLean scored just past the hour to give the visitors their first victory in four outings.
The Reds could have gone ahead as early as the 1st minute when youngster Jack McLeod, making his first league start flashed a shot from the angle of the penalty area inches wide of the post.
However, it was Grays who had the better of the first half hour and they should have broken the deadlock after only 3 minutes. Striker Lee Boylan was left completely unmarked at a free kick and had time and space to pick his spot but he fired straight at home keeper Ben Hamer who made the save with his legs. Hamer was tested again moments later when McLean had a low effort from the edge of the box pushed wide.
McLean threatened once more on 18 minutes when he capitalised on an under hit back pass by full back Scott Hiley. He got to the ball before the on rushing Hamer but was unable to steer his sliding effort on target.
Crawley gradually gained the upper hand as the first half went on and they went close on the half hour. Busy midfielder Dannie Bulman hit a 25 yard strike which was deflected just past a post.
The home side then almost snatched the lead on the stroke of the interval when defender Pat Sappleton met a Scully corner with a thumping header which smashed against the crossbar.
John Hollins' side were denied by the frame of the goal again nine minutes after the break. Scully, released by a neat header by Scott Rendell beat defender Djouman Sangare for pace and hit a low shot under Ashley Bayes. The Grays keeper got a fingertip on the ball and it was just enough to divert it onto the inside of the right hand post.
The impressive Scully wasted another promising attack soon after when he burst into the box and was tackled by Adam Green with Rendell screaming in a better position at the far post.
Michael Kightly should have done better for the visitors on 57 minutes with a miscued volley which sped wide, before McLean struck the winner on 63 minutes.
He pounced on a moment of indecision by Danny Brown and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner via a deflection off Sappleton.
Brown almost made up for his error five minutes later with a superb 30 yard volley which Bayes did well to hold.
Boylan wasted two chances to wrap up the points soon after, first straying offside when in a good position at Kightly's clever pass and then with a close range effort which he somehow hammered over the bar.
Crawley piled on the pressure late on in search of an equaliser and they almost got it on 77 minutes when Scully fizzed over from 20 yards.
Michael Bostwick then went close with a header from Scully's cross which Bayes had to be alert to save. Sub Jamie Slabber almost added a second for Grays in stoppage time with a stretching shot across goal which skimmed off the post but Kightly then came close to capping a good personal display with a goal when he was released by Dennis Oli but shot straight at Hamer under pressure from young defender Jamie Lovegrove.
The Reds could have gone ahead as early as the 1st minute when youngster Jack McLeod, making his first league start flashed a shot from the angle of the penalty area inches wide of the post.
However, it was Grays who had the better of the first half hour and they should have broken the deadlock after only 3 minutes. Striker Lee Boylan was left completely unmarked at a free kick and had time and space to pick his spot but he fired straight at home keeper Ben Hamer who made the save with his legs. Hamer was tested again moments later when McLean had a low effort from the edge of the box pushed wide.
McLean threatened once more on 18 minutes when he capitalised on an under hit back pass by full back Scott Hiley. He got to the ball before the on rushing Hamer but was unable to steer his sliding effort on target.
Crawley gradually gained the upper hand as the first half went on and they went close on the half hour. Busy midfielder Dannie Bulman hit a 25 yard strike which was deflected just past a post.
The home side then almost snatched the lead on the stroke of the interval when defender Pat Sappleton met a Scully corner with a thumping header which smashed against the crossbar.
John Hollins' side were denied by the frame of the goal again nine minutes after the break. Scully, released by a neat header by Scott Rendell beat defender Djouman Sangare for pace and hit a low shot under Ashley Bayes. The Grays keeper got a fingertip on the ball and it was just enough to divert it onto the inside of the right hand post.
The impressive Scully wasted another promising attack soon after when he burst into the box and was tackled by Adam Green with Rendell screaming in a better position at the far post.
Michael Kightly should have done better for the visitors on 57 minutes with a miscued volley which sped wide, before McLean struck the winner on 63 minutes.
He pounced on a moment of indecision by Danny Brown and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner via a deflection off Sappleton.
Brown almost made up for his error five minutes later with a superb 30 yard volley which Bayes did well to hold.
Boylan wasted two chances to wrap up the points soon after, first straying offside when in a good position at Kightly's clever pass and then with a close range effort which he somehow hammered over the bar.
Crawley piled on the pressure late on in search of an equaliser and they almost got it on 77 minutes when Scully fizzed over from 20 yards.
Michael Bostwick then went close with a header from Scully's cross which Bayes had to be alert to save. Sub Jamie Slabber almost added a second for Grays in stoppage time with a stretching shot across goal which skimmed off the post but Kightly then came close to capping a good personal display with a goal when he was released by Dennis Oli but shot straight at Hamer under pressure from young defender Jamie Lovegrove.