Barker: We were the better side

Richie Barker was a happy man after watching Crawley open their new campaign with a late 3-2 victory at home to Coventry.

City battled back from going behind to goals from Jamie Proctor and Joe Walsh, with Callum Wilson and Franck Moussa scoring, before midfielder Mike Jones gave Crawley all three points six minutes from time. Town are seeking to at least repeat last season's unexpected promotion challenge and Barker felt the match was a great advert for League One. He said: "It was a game of two halves and there could have been many more goals. Coventry were the better side in the second half but Mike Jones nicked it with his late goal. "In our first competitive game I will certainly take the three points, and I believe if we go about our business like that hopefully we will win more than we will lose. "No two halves are ever the same and unfortunately the momentum was ruined by the half-time interval. Coventry were the better side in the second half but we kept going and to cap it off with a winner was terrific." A dozen or so Coventry supporters - frustrated by off-field events at the crisis club - went on to the Broadfield Stadium pitch and held up play for three minutes after seeing their side go 2-0 down midway through the first half. Commenting on the brief pitch protest, Barker admitted that he was worried for his players' safety at one point. "While I have sympathy for the plight Coventry find themselves in and feel sorry for the fans, I cannot empathise with the action they took in coming on to the pitch," he said.