Crawley 5 Northwich 2.

Midfielder Lewis Killeen admits Crawley have set themselves some high standards after an outstanding attacking performance overwhelmed Northwich.

The match sponsors may have named Jake Wright their man of the match after he gave another faultless performance at the heart of the defence.

But Killeen, with his first goal for the club and three assists, must have run him close and there were other candidates, too, in Reds’ midfield.

He said: “We've been working in training on playing at a high tempo because if we do that we’re a match for any team in this league.

“We were at it from the first minute. We got in their faces and never allowed them to settle and I thought we looked fitter than them, we coped with the heat really well.”

The contest was effectively over after half an hour by which time Crawley were three-up and their passing and movement in forward areas had torn Northwich to shreds.

Killeen and fellow wide man Danny Forrest, both restored to the starting line-up, were in the thick of things.

With Simon Weatherstone, Dannie Bulman and Thomas Pinault dominating the central areas, Killeen and Forrest had an embarrassing amount of possession, which they seldom wasted.

With Glenn Wilson and Sam Rents offering willing support from full-back the only surprise was that Northwich’s harassed defenders managed to keep the deficit down to four at half-time.

Killeen added: “(Manager) Steve Evans likes me and Danny playing as part of three up top. I have played in wide areas before but never as wide as this.

“It works as we have guys in the middle who can find us.”

Reds dropped their guard for ten minutes at the start of the second half and former Albion striker Lee Steele, who made one and scored another, inspired thoughts of an outrageous comeback.

But Jamie Cook ended their hopes with his second of the game and Reds were able to conserve energy in the last half-hour ahead of another home game against Grays Athletic tomorrow.

Evans threw on fit-again Chris Giles and Steve Fletcher late on, but it is hard to see him making too many changes as Crawley seek a victory which would put them in the play-offs.

Jamie Stevens, celebrating a call-up into the England C team, was not needed and strikers Jon Paul-Pittman and Isaiah Rankin were both injured.

Assistant manager Paul Raynor said: “Things are very positive when you look round behind you and see the quality we had on our bench if we need to change it.

“We were rampant in the first half and created chance after chance. When we play with that tempo we will be a match for anyone in this league, we could have scored ten.

“Our start to the second half was disappointing. We switched off for ten minutes but I always felt we had more goals in us.”

Northwich lined up with five at the back but Crawley were picking holes in their defence from the start. With just six minutes gone Sam Rents swung in a free-kick and Matt Bailey, under pressure from Adam Quinn, headed into the top corner of his own net.

The only surprise was that it took Crawley until the 24th minute to score again when Weatherstone and Killeen combined down the left and Killeen’s cross was glanced home by Cook.

Three minutes later Chris Flynn telegraphed a back pass and Killeen nipped in to round keeper Scott Tynan and make it 3-0.

Killeen set up a simple fourth for Weatherstone in stoppage time and Crawley departed to a standing ovation at half-time.

The mood had changed within 15 minutes of the re-start, however, as Northwich got a toe-hold in the game with two goals. Steele profited when Reds failed to clear a free-kick before his cross was headed home by Flynn.

But order was restored four minutes later. Pinault threaded a pass into Killeen’s path and although Tynan parried his shot, Cook swept in his second.

Killeen could have added a sixth but his header from Forrest’s cross hit the crossbar and there were any number of near misses and great saves by Northwich keeper Scott Tynan.

The only disappointment was the crowd of just 776, Reds’ lowest of the season. Hopefully a few of the stay-aways will return tomorrow because, on this evidence, Crawley have a side worth watching this season.

Crawley: Rayner, Wilson, Rents, Quinn (sub: Giles 81), Wright; Bulman, Weatherstone, Pinault; Killeen (Fletcher 86), Cook (Douglas 72), Forrest.

Unused subs: Stevens, Thomas.

Northwich Victoria: Tynan, Aspin, Brown, Roberts, Bailey, M. Marsh (sub: Crowell 69), Flynn, Byrne (Mullan 58), Stamp (P. Marsh 77), Steele, Allan.

Booked: Roberts, M. Marsh, Flynn.