Matt Tubbs scored twice in the first nine minutes but Crawley were held to a 2-2 draw by Cambridge in a pulsating Conference clash at the Abbey Stadium tonight.

Tubbs, a £70,000 summer capture from Salisbury, opened his account for his new club with a close-range header after five minutes when defender James Jennings' clearing header rebounded to him off the bar.

Tubbs finished off a sublime move involving four players when he stabbed home Sergio Torres' low cross four minutes later.

But Cambridge roared back and after keeper Nick Jordan had pushed Ben Wright's shot onto the post Simon Russell made it 2-1 on 19 minutes when he finished off a counter-attack which began when debutant Scott Neilson lost the ball in his own half.

Brian Saah headed Cambridge level from a 29th-minute corner with an unchallenged header but Reds had the chances to win it in the second half.

Quinn's header was blocked on the line, Kevin Russell cleared Neilson's cut-back off the line and in the closing stages Steve Masterton's inswinging corner was also hacked off the line.