Matt Tubbs scored a second-half hat-trick including two goals in the last seven minutes as Crawley came from 2-0 down to beat Wrexham 3-2 and climb to second in the Blue Square Bet premier.

Reds looked out of sorts in the first half and conceded two poor goals to a Wrexham side who had won their previous seven games.

Michel Kuipers was beaten by a mis-hit shot from Andy Mangan in the ninth minute and Wrexham doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Mangan beat the offside trap and produced a composed finish past Kuipers from the edge of the six-yard box.

Crawley got their way back into the contest five minutes after the break when John Dempster flicked on a cross and Tubbs picked his spot from six yards.

Wrexham defended their lead stoutly thereafter but when Tubbs is on the pitch there is always hope.

With eight minutes to go Willie Gibson found him in space and his toe poke as Maxwell rushed out to smother had just enough momentum to creep over the line.

Three minutes from time the referee spotted an off-the-ball foul on Gibson by Jay Harris and awarded a penalty which Tubbs, who had missed his last spot kick against Torquay a fortnight ago, smashed past Maxwell. Harris was sent off for his second bookable offence.

Luton's 3-1 home defeat to Fleetwood means Reds have closed to within four points of leaders AFC Wimbledon with five games in hand.

Manager Steve Evans praised the character of his side.

He said: "We have beaten a good Wrexham side. In the first half the harder we seemed to work the worse it got but we got into them at half-time and in the second half we ripped them apart at times.

"I have always said we have a special bunch here and the character they showed in the second half was outstanding. We battered them after getting an early goal which helped."