Crawley Town 0 Carlisle United 0: Carlisle United dominated proceedings against Crawley but had to settle for a goalless draw in Sussex.

The Blues relentlessly attacked John Yems' side in the second half but couldn't make the breakthrough.

Nathan Thomas was at the heart of their efforts with Jon Mellish, playing in midfield, close to scoring.

Chris Beech's side, though, had to settle for a point and a clean sheet on the road in a game played in strong wind and rain as Storm Dennis arrived at the People's Pension Stadium.

Former Carlisle striker Ashley Nadesan hit the post for Crawley in the first half while Lewis Alessandra missed a good chance for United.

Nadesan could have given the home side a seventh-minute lead after stealing the ball from Byron Webster, but he drove the chance low against the upright.

The hosts did the early attacking, with Reece Grego-Cox seeing a shot parried by Adam Collin, before United responded after the 15-minute mark.

The Cumbrians' first good chance fell to Mellish but he cleared the bar when played in by Elliot Watt.

Omari Patrick then failed to supply Mellish when United broke, and Alessandra shot wide of the near post.

United were back on the defensive when Ollie Palmer shot over and then Nadesan poked a cross wide as he beat Collin to a Josh Doherty cross that held up in the strong wine.

Collin then tipped over a Panutche Camara shot before United ended the half well, Mike Jones failing to make the most of a Nick Anderton cross.

Alessandra then blazed over the target after keeper Glenn Morris had kept out a Thomas shot.

United, with the wind at their backs in the second half, then survived two early chances after the break when Collin denied Nadesan and Grego-Cox.

Carlisle had the lion's share of things and raided the Crawley box umpteen times without finishing any of their chances.

Mellish, set up by Thomas, had an effort saved on the line and was later denied again by the hosts.

A rare Crawley foray saw Collin save when Palmer's effort deflected off Aaron Hayden.

United then launched more attacks, Thomas regularly taking on left-back Doherty, one cross failing to reach Alessandra at the back post and, at the death, a further Thomas effort touched behind by Morris.

The Cumbrians kept their first clean sheet on the road since August 31, as they dropped a place to fourth bottom in League Two, 13 points above the relegation place.

Crawley: Morris, Doherty, Tunnicliffe, Dacres-Cogley, Sendles-White, Grego-Cox, Francomb, Ferguson (Allarakhia 79), Camara (Lubala 59), Palmer, Nadesan. Not used: McGill, Bloomfield, Powell, Adebowale.

United: Collin, G Jones, Anderton, Webster, Hayden, Mellish, M Jones (Charters 80), Watt, Thomas, Patrick, Alessandra (Scougall 87). Not used: Gray, Iredale, Bridge, Loft, Hunt.

Ref: David Rock.

Crowd: 2,114 (263 United fans).