Crawley’s defence was exposed for the second week running as they crashed to a 5-3 defeat at Notts County.

Reds were trailing 3-0 at half-time before pulling the score back to 3-2 ten minutes after the break through Gwion Edwards and Matt Harrold.

County wiped out any hopes of a famous comeback, however, as Garry Thompson completed his hatr-trick and Gary Jones made it 5-2 before Marvin Elliott headed his third goal of the season near the end.

The result came on the back of a 4-1 home defeat to Peterborough last weekend and is the third time in eight League One games they have conceded four goals or more.

The result lifted the Magpies into the play-off places wile Crawley remain 15th although they are only two points above the drop zone in a very congested division.

County almost took the lead after just five minutes when Haydn Hollis’s clever near post flick from a corner was only diverted over the bar by the head of Mat Sadler.

There was no reprieve four minutes later though as the home side took the lead in worrying easy fashion. Stephen McLaughlin picked up the ball in space and was allowed to run at the Crawley defence before slipping in Thompson who had time to compose himself before firing a low shot through the legs of Brian Jensen.

There was nearly an immediate response from Crawley as Lewis Young lobbed Roy Carroll, who was off his line, only for the ball to land on the roof of the net.

Crawley were facing a mountain to climb when Notts County doubled their advantage in the 18th minute. Jensen did well to tip over a header from Shaun Harrad but when the ball was recycled from the resulting corner Ismail was left unmarked to head home.

It could have been pretty much game over before half-time if the impressive Ismail had not headed wide from eight yards after being picked out by a superb cross from McLaughlin.

County did score a third courtesy of some atrocious defending in the 37th minute. Dean Leacock and Joe Walsh allowed a ball into the box to drop and Thompson nipped in to poke home from close range.

Hollis very nearly made it 4-0 on the stroke of half-time when his header from a McLaughlin corner – County’s tenth of the half – was blocked on the line.

Amazingly Reds found themselves right back in the game ten minutes into the second half.

Edwards made it 3-1 with an unstoppable shot from 25 yards which flew past Carroll into the top corner and then Harrold finished a brilliant counter-attack to score his first goal for Crawley.

Keith Keane won the ball just outside his own box and set Harrold away who in turn poked the ball out wide to Jimmy Smith. Smith’s low centre was laid back by Young to Harrold who had got forward well to place his shot inside a post.

County thought they had restored their two goal advantage when Jensen punched a corner into his own net but referee Peter Bankes cut short their celebrations by adjudging the Reds keeper had been fouled.

There was no reprieve for Jensen shortly afterwards though as he flapped at a corner to give Thompson the chance to head home his third of the game.

Any hopes of a comeback were ended with ten minutes to go when Jones’s volley from the edge of the area was deflected past a flat-footed Jensen.

Elliott did pull one back to make it 5-3 with six minutes to go when he met a well flighted free kick from Smith with a powerful downward header but County held on for victory.

Notts (4-4-2): Carroll; Dumbuya (C Thompson, 70), Hollis, Laing, Cranston; Ismail (Petrasso, 75), Jones, Noble, McLaughlin; G Thompson Harrad (Murray, 81). Subs not used: Wroe, McKenzie, Spiess, Traore.

Crawley (4-3-2-1 ): Jensen; Oyebanjo, Leacock, Walsh, Sadler; Keane (Banya, 81), Elliott, Smith; Edwards, Young; McLeod (Harrold, 46). Subs not used: Bradley, Simpson, Bawling, Tomlin, Ashdown.