Persistence and a sweet strike from Dean Moxey saw Exeter City extend their unbeaten run and come away from the Broadfields with a hard-fought point after a Crawley penalty briefly looked to have given the home side the victory.

Adam Stansfield's ankle injury meant a start for Lee Elam, playing as a support striker to Richard Logan rather than his more familiar position out wide. Apart from that it was the usual line-up as City looked to make it four wins in a row.

Elam started brightly and harried the Crawley back-line while City's back four mopped up most of what Crawley could throw at them in the opening exchanges.

The game was evenly balanced as the quarter of an hour mark loomed, with neither side carving out a clear-cut opportunity, but a foul on the edge of the box game City their first real site of goal. Elam left the free-kick for Edwards and, with City's first shot of the game, the left-back curled a peach of a shot over the wall and beyond debutant goalkeeper Knowles to put Exeter one-nil up.

Crawley immediately rallied and pushed forward in search of a quick equalizer and soon found it. A neat passing move saw Glenn Wilson knock down a cross for Ollie Allen to toe-poke in from six yard, leaving Marriott with no chance.

Exeter responded in a similar fashion and their best chance of the half fell to goalscorer Edwards who found himself with the ball at his feet after Crawley failed to clear their lines from a throw in. The defender's rasping shot hit the underside of the bar before somehow bouncing wide - a inch lower and City would have taken the lead.

That was as good as it got for the rest of the first half, as the game turned into a war of attrition in the middle. Wayne Carlisle provided a willing outlet on the right and many of Exeter's best attacks went through the wideman but City were unable to find a killer ball, despite have the better of the play.

The second half saw Crawley come out with intent, but the Red Devils were finding it hard to break down a resilient Exeter back line.

Seven minutes into the half, Paul Tisdale took off Elam and brought on Steve Basham to play upfront alongside Richard Logan in an untested partnership. Although the two forwards play a similar game, there were signs of enough understanding between the two to cause problems for the Crawley defence even though the usual pace threat City offer wasn't available.

But while Exeter adjusted to the chances it was Crawley who took the initiative and soon found themselves 2-1 up. When Jon-Paul Pittman raced onto a pass into the box, Seaborne slid in and despite the defender taking some of the ball there was enough contact for the referee to signal to the spot, where Allen made no mistake for his second.

With Exeter needing to take something out of the game to consolidate their play-off position, Paul Tisdale's men pushed forward and Matt Taylor should have done better when he glanced wide with the goal at his mercy. Nonetheless, City were playing some positive football and a lovely passing move found Basham just outside the area, but despite squeezing his shot through the crowd, it fizzed agonizingly wide.

As the Grecians piled forwarding search of an equaliser, it left small holes in the rearguard for Crawley to exploit and on more than one occasion Mustapha Carayol broke through only to let Exeter off the hook by firing wide.

As the clock ticked on, Andrew Taylor was substituted for the more attack-minded Ryan Harley, although the midfielder barely had time to get his first touch before City drew level.

Pittman fouled Tully out wide on the right and rather than lift the resulting free-kick into the box, Moxey passed short to Harley, who returned the ball. Moxey then made a quick dart infield before firing a sweet low shot from 25 yards along the ground and in-off the post to send the 309 traveling Grecians supporters wild.

Both teams pushed for the winner and Allen had a late shot, while Matt Gill's long throw caused problems in the box but neither side could fashion a decent chance before the final whistle.

City put in a decent performance with an unfamiliar forward line against a Crawley side who were better than their league position would suggest, but Exeter always looked a danger from set-pieces and but for better finishing may have taken more than just a point.

Marriott, as always, was calmness personified at the back while Edwards put in another peerless display and was unlucky not to bag a brace. Up front Elam and Logan, and later Basham, all worked hard while Carlisle was a constant threat down the right. But a point was a fair result and consolidates the Grecians lead over 6th placed Burton.