Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Crawley Town beat Eastleigh 1-0 at Silverlake Stadium in a pre-season friendly, Dion Pereira scoring the only goal in the 24th minute.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Eastleigh started the brighter of the two sides, with Hady Ghandour causing problems down the right wing inside the opening two minutes. The Spitfires had several efforts in the box, but Crawley's defence held firm to keep the scores level.
Crawley's first meaningful effort came through Pemi Aderoju, whose drilled shot went wide in the 12th minute. The League Two visitors grew into the contest and broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when Dion Pereira produced a thumping finish inside the box from close range.
Eastleigh responded positively. Manager Matt Gray introduced youngster Ilya Ihnatenko for Trialist E after 32 minutes, and the Spitfires came close to an equaliser just before half-time when Ben Drake's wicked free-kick delivery flashed across the box without a touch.
Crawley changed all 11 outfield players at the break, and the fresh legs nearly paid immediate dividends. Trialist I, Eastleigh's goalkeeper, produced a smart save to deny Danny Cashman's curling effort, and later palmed away a powerful header from Aaron Pierre following a corner in the 82nd minute.
Aaron Blair came closest to a leveller for the hosts in the 66th minute, forcing a sharp save from Crawley's second-half trialist goalkeeper after some neat build-up play down the left.
The Turning Point
Pereira's 24th-minute goal was the decisive moment. Eastleigh had controlled the opening exchanges and looked the more likely to score. Once Pereira struck, Crawley's growing confidence allowed them to manage the contest effectively, and their wholesale half-time changes — fielding an entirely different XI in the second period — made it difficult for Eastleigh to build sustained rhythm.
Key Performers
Dion Pereira (Crawley Town) — The winger, who joined Crawley in July 2025, scored the only goal with a clinical finish. His movement in the box created the separation needed to convert.
Trialist I (Eastleigh) — The unnamed goalkeeper started for Eastleigh and made several important saves, particularly in the second half when Crawley's fresh legs tested him with efforts from Cashman and from set pieces.
Aaron Blair (Eastleigh) — The forward was Eastleigh's brightest attacking outlet, forcing the best save of the second half with his 66th-minute effort.
Aaron Pierre (Eastleigh) — Dominant in the air at both ends, the centre-back forced a late save from a corner and marshalled the defence well against a rotated Crawley attack.
By the Numbers
The match was a typical pre-season friendly in structure: Eastleigh dominated the opening 20 minutes, Crawley seized control through Pereira's goal, and the second half became a disjointed affair after Crawley's 11-man substitution. The 1-0 scoreline reflects a game of few clear-cut chances — pre-season sharpness was always going to be a factor, given both sides are still building toward their respective campaigns.
What It Means
For Eastleigh, this was their final home pre-season fixture ahead of the National League season, which kicks off in two weeks. Matt Gray used the game to give minutes to trialists and rotated his squad, with established players like Aaron Pierre and Connor Underhill returning to the starting XI after the defeat to Valenciennes three days earlier.
Crawley Town continue their pre-season schedule with a trip to Oxford United on Tuesday 28 July, followed by a home fixture against Reading. The result, their first pre-season outing, provides a useful foundation as they build toward the League Two campaign.
Verdict
A narrow, workmanlike victory for Crawley in a typical pre-season contest. Eastleigh will take encouragement from spells of pressure, particularly early on, but the lack of cutting edge in the final third will be a concern for Gray. For Crawley, Pereira's goal and the chance to give minutes to 22 different players served their preparation purposes well.
Match Events
Key match events between Eastleigh and Crawley Town — 1 goal and 0 cards recorded during the match.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jul 2026