Crawley staged a remarkable late fightback to rescue a 2-2 draw at home to Scunthorpe United.

The visitors led 2-0 going into the final 15 minutes courtesy of goals from Paddy Madden and Lyle Taylor either side of the interval.

Reds had barely tested United keeper Sam Slocombe but scored twice in the space of four minutes to salvage a point that had looked highly unlikely.

Dean Leacock headed home a rare goal in the 76th minute to wake up a sleepy crowd at the Checkatrade.com Stadium before Izale McLeod converted from the penalty spot following a foul on Ryan Dickson.

The result saw Reds slip to 17th in League One but was enough to lift Scunthorpe out of the relegation zone.

Crawley stuck with the 3-5-2 formation which had earned them a hard-fought point at Oldham last week but with two changes in personnel.

Lewis Price made his debut in goal after signing on loan from Crystal Palace while top scorer Izale McLeod returned from suspension.

The first half was largely uneventful but Scunthorpe just about deserved their lead given to them by Madden in the 26th minute.

Sonny Bradley was caught in possession deep inside his own half and the ball was worked to Madden on the left-hand side of the box whose low shot squeezed under the legs of Price.

Scunthorpe’s joy was tempered slightly when defender Miguel Llera was stretchered off following a clash with Gwion Edwards in the 32nd minute.

Reds had struggled to trouble Scunthorpe for the majority of the first half but managed a couple of late attempts at goal, both from defenders.

Bradley headed over the bar from a corner as he attempted to atone for his earlier error and then Dean Leacock flashed a volley just wide from 12 yards after a free kick was not properly cleared.

Reds made a slow start to the second half and after a couple of narrow escapes they fell further behind in the 55th minute.

Price had made a good save to deny Williams but was beaten two minutes later when Gary McSheffrey’s low cross was forced in at the near post by Taylor.

Reds registered their first shot on target when McLeod fired straight at Sam Slocombe in the 76th minute and four minutes later he was picking the ball out of his net.

Ryan Dickson whipped over a cross from the left and Leacock headed home what was only the fourth goal of his long career.

The goal sparked the crowd into life and they were celebrating again four minutes later. Dickson was hauled down in the area and McLeod stepped up to score his ninth goal of the season from the spot.

Bobson Bawling almost won it for Crawley at the death but his close range effort was straight at Slocombe while Gavin Tomlin glanced a header from Jimmy Smith’s free kick wide.

Crawley (3-5-2): Price; Bradley (Young, 69), Leacock, Walsh; Bawling (Elliott, 88), Keane, Edwards, Smith, Dickson; Tomlin, McLeod. Subs not used: Jensen, Henderson, Richefond, Isaacs, Banya.

Scunthorpe (4-4-2): Slocombe; Hawkridge, Boyce, Llera (Brisley, 35), M Williams; McSheffrey (McAllister, 86), O'Neil, Bishop, Madden; Taylor, L Williams (Myrie-Williams, 69). Subs not used: Olejnik, Sparrow, Adelakun, Kee.