Kamari Doyle’s first-half goal gave Scott Lindsey a winning start on his return as Crawley manager as they beat fellow strugglers Bristol Rovers 1-0.

Lindsey had replaced Rob Elliot on Thursday after five months in charge at MK Dons and Crawley’s battling first win in nine games leaves them nine points from safety.

Rovers have lost six of their last seven away games and sit six points above the League One drop zone.

Lindsey went into the game admitting the Red Devils will need to win six or seven of their remaining nine matches to stand a chance of beating the drop.

And his side went ahead in the 19th minute when a strong run from Rushian Hepburn-Murphy set up Doyle 12 yards from goal and he finished past helpless goalkeeper Jed Ward.

Doyle, on loan from Brighton, should have doubled the lead two minutes later when he shot wastefully wide.

Crawley threatened again a minute from the interval when a goal-bound shot from Hepburn-Murphy was palmed away by Ward.

Former Reds loanee Isaac Hutchinson tested debutant keeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala for the first time with a low shot 12 minutes after the break, but a Rovers side lacking a cutting edge could not find an equaliser.