Crawley Town showed grit to beat Lincoln 3-1 and move two points from a play-off spot this afternoon.

Reds played great football in the first half and deserved their advantage, but had to work for their fifth consecutive home win in the second period.

It was a heated affair, with heavy challenges all day and Imps manager Danny Cowley being sent to the stands for a half-time tunnel bust-up with Reds players.

Crawley took the lead when captain Jimmy Smith mopped up Lewis Young's piledriver from range.

The right-back rattled the crossbar and the ball fell kindly into Smith's path and he tapped it in.

Harry Kewell's side were brimming with confidence as they knocked the ball round smoothly until the half-time whistle.

Dutch forward Thomas Verheydt picked up an injury just before the half was over after coming off worse in a 50-50 challenge.

He was replaced by Jordan Roberts in what is the 20-year-old's second match back from a spell on the sidelines, and he soon became the hero.

The visitors, who remain seventh and two points ahead of their opponents, came out fighting in the second half and dominated the first 20 minutes.

They drew level after 52 minutes, and striker Matt Green hit double figures for the season when he pounced on Mark Connolly's mistake to beat Glenn Morris.

Lincoln looked increasingly likely to score, with winger Tom Pett coming close on two occasions.

But Crawley dug deep and Roberts played a vital part in them winning a penalty which tilted the game.

He flicked it through to Smith who crossed for Boldewijn, with the Dutchman dragged down in the box.

Josh Payne buried the ball in the 67th minute to extinguish Lincoln's chances of taking all three points.

The visitors' batteries died after the penalty, and Crawley took control from that point.

Mark Connolly sealed the win five minutes later from a perfectly-placed Roberts freekick.

Roberts flashed the ball across the face of the goal from the right, and centre-back Connolly popped up with a volley to secure victory.

The win is a club record for Reds, as it is the first time they have won five consecutive home games during their seven-year spell in the Football League.

They are now ninth in League Two.