John Yems used to joke people thought the circus had come to town when he first landed in West Sussex.

That was in the mid-1990s when, as youth team boss at Fulham, he moved from London and looked to stir things up as manager of Horsham.

Quite how the door on the old away changing room at Culver Road stayed on its hinges one stormy half-time during a cup defeat to Lancing was a mystery.

They had not seen anything quite like it.

Still living in Horsham but in charge a few miles up the A264 at Crawley Town, Yems has lost none of that fire.

Of course, there is a lot more to him than that.

There has to be to have been involved in football for so long and to have played a part in Bournemouth’s rise through the ranks.

Just as there was quality – and not only fury - about the comeback which saw Reds beat Grimsby after a half-time rendezvous with their frustrated boss.

But a bit of straight-talking and extra fire in the belly certainly helped as Reds, trailing 2-1 at the break, stepped up the tempo and intensity in the second 45.

Ashley Nadesan left marker Mattie Pollock for dead and unselfishly teed up fellow striker Ollie Pope for his second goal of the game to level the scores.

Pope then laid off for Nadesan to guide a super winner inside the far post after a move involving Dannie Bulman and Bez Lubala.

Crawley have not lost in their five home games since Yems took charge.

Asked whether momentum was building, the boss said: “I don’t know about momentum.

“I think it’s the fear of losing, sometimes.

“Nobody wants to lose but, if we lose properly, by trying, and you come up against a better side but you are working and fighting hard, you come off sometimes and shake hands and say, ‘What a good game that was’.

“Last week (at Walsall) we gave two goals away and I had to say something.”

Asked whether he had raised his voice at half-time in Saturday’s contest at the People’s Pension Stadium, Yems replied: “I think I nearly got myself arrested twice!

“It’s frustration at not being able to be out there with the lads.

“You just want to win. All I want to do is win.”

That win did not look likely after Reds, for the second successive match, lost a lead.

Palmer finished well after super work by Bulman, the day after his 41st birthday, to win possession and play the right pass.

Glenn Morris made five saves in the first half although two of them were not fully cleared and led to goals on the rebound for Elliott Whitehouse and James Hanson.

The introduction of Reece Grego-Cox down the right at half-time helped enliven the hosts.

Pope and Nadesan caught the eye but, as Yems was keen to highlight, there were good performances throughout the side.

Former Albion youngster James Tilley went on as sub for Grimsby as soon as they went 3-2 down on 77 minutes.

He almost poked home an equaliser in one of a series of late goalmouth melees.

Grimsby boss Ian Holloway thought his side might have grabbed a point but recognised something is stirring at Crawley.

He said: “In the second half they got on top but I have watched them and they are a good side.

“They have done well here and the crowd stayed with them.

“We went a little bit deep but they drove us deep with the bodies they released and sent forward. Well done to them.”

Crawley: Morris; Dacres-Cogley, Tunnicliffe, Dallison, Doherty; Camara (Grego-Cox 46), Bulman, Francomb (Allarakhia77), Lubala; Nadesan, Palmer (German 85).