Two-goal Daryl Clare gave Crawley a massive boost and says the team now know what is needed to avoid relegation from the Conference.

And they proved it on Saturday with a stunning performance against Altrincham.

Clare scored twice as Reds tore apart an Alty side with one defeat in their previous eight league games.

Victory lifts Crawley off the bottom and, although they remain two points from safety, the comprehensive manner of victory suggests they should not be down there for much longer.

Reds did not just show fighting spirit and commitment, they showed style.

The football at times was the best seen at the Broadfield Stadium this season and their first goal will be talked about for a long time.

It was started and finished by Clare, who gave the most vivid illustration yet that he is the key to Crawley staying up, provided he gets the ball in the right areas.

The former Conference golden boot winner linked up with strike-partner Steve Burton on the halfway line to release winger Tony Scully on the right flank.

Scully cut inside and threaded a neat ball to the overlapping Burton, who drilled a low cross for Clare to turn it in from five yards.

The superb move came on 34 minutes and was the climax to a breathtaking opening by Reds.

Alty could not cope with the frenetic tempo and Reds could have been three up before they broke the deadlock with Clare, in particular, squandering a golden chance after just three minutes when he volleyed a Scully cross wide from close range.

The visitors caused one moment of panic in the home defence when Paul Armstrong was forced to make a brave sliding block to deny the unmarked Warren Peyton just before half time.

But apart from that, John Hollins' side set the agenda and when Clare notched his second, the final half-hour was made meaningless.

He raced onto a clever flick from Burton and, although keeper Stuart Coburn got a hand to his drive, he could not stop it bouncing into the net to bring Clare's tally to 11 for the season.

Clare said: "It is a massive task for us to stay in this league, let's not mince our words.

It is going to be very tough but we all know that now, the penny has dropped.

"We are in a relegation fight all the way and the players' confidence will have been lifted by this.

"This was a performance when we all stuck together, we all fought for the club and we all knew how important it was to win.

"It was an improvement on the last two or three games and we looked a better team. I'm sure the supporters will be a lot happier with the effort, work rate and commitment shown."

They certainly were. The players were given a standing ovation, just two weeks after they had been abused and heckled off the pitch following the FA Trophy exit against Boreham Wood.

Hollins had his name chanted and one fan approached him in the car park afterwards to apologise for what he had said two weeks ago.

But the Crawley boss knows how quickly things can change and is not getting too exited.

He said: "The players all responded magnificently but we have to make sure we do it in every game now.

"Once we get a couple of wins then we can start believing but one game doesn't make everything fit."

Some may argue the Boreham debacle played a big role in the improved performance by acting as a wake-up call.

Another explanation could be the increased threat the players now have over their places.

Hollins signed midfielder Danny Clay on loan from Exeter until the end of the season on the eve of the game and has promised more new faces.

It means a few players are no longer in the comfort zone, knowing their places are safe no matter how they play.

Clay's seven-minute cameo at the end was not long enough to show what he could do but Hollins is confident he will be a good acquisition. The 20-year-old midfielder was part of the Grecians team that pushed Manchester United all the way in the FA Cup last season but his chances have been limited at St James' Park this term.

Hollins said: "He will bring us energy and he has been in a successful team so he comes to us with confidence and good recommendations."

Former secretary Barry Munn has been appointed as Crawley's new general manager.

Munn has taken on the fulltime role in place of Paul Hobbs, who has been moved on to other projects within the company of club owners the SA Group.