Injury-hit Crawley conceded twice in the final 16 minutes to go down 2-1 away to Gateshead.

Mikey Malcolm's first-half strike put Reds in control despite missing half a dozen players.

But former Crawley striker Daryl Clare levelled on 74 minutes following a super run by Kris Gate, who then scored the winner himself three minutes later.

Suspended skipper Adam Quinn was among six senior players missing from Crawley's threadbare squad so manager Steve Evans gave a full debut to former Southend youngster Peggy Lokando.

Reds were so stretched that assistant-boss Paul Raynor was named on the bench.

The hosts had a chance to open the scoring inside 50 seconds as Peter Winn played in Gate but his shot was too easy for Crawley keeper Simon Rayner.

Crawley's first sniff of goal came in the 23rd minute when Lewis Killeen chested down Charles Ademeno's cross for Ben Smith who shot just past the near post when he should have done better.

The deadlock was broken just before the half-hour mark when Glenn Wilson floated a ball in from the right for Malcolm, who took it down and slipped defender Darren Williams on the edge of the box before rifling past goalkeeper Paul Farman.

Just before the break Gateshead appealed for a penalty when Winn went down under challenge from Rayner but the referee was not interested.

Clare had a great chance ten minutes into the second half when he was left in acres of space to meet Craig Baxter's centre but he opted for an extravagant scissor-kick volley and completely missed the ball.

Malcolm went close to a second on 63 minutes with a super 30-yard strike after a free-kick was tapped to him but Farman got down to beat it away.

The game began to open up and Rayner made a super save at the expense of a corner after Clark Keltie connected well with Winn's cross.

With a couple of substitutions, Gateshead upped their game and they turned the game on its head with two goals inside four minutes.

They levelled with 16 minutes to go when Gate's super run scythed open the Crawley defence and the ball fell for Clare to apply the finish from close range despite Crawley's appeals for offside.

Clare then returned the compliment to Gate on 77 minutes with a great touch to play in the midfielder who beat Rayner at his near post.

Crawley: Rayner; Hutchinson, Broadhurst, Wilson, Rusk; Killeen, Lokando, Pinault, Smith; Ademeno (sub Carter 83), Malcolm. Subs not used: Napper, Huggins, Raynor, Jordan.

Gateshead: Farman; Baxter, Curtis, Williams, Gate; Turnbull (sub Richardson 64), Gate, Keltie; Haworth, Clare, Winn. Subs not used: Provett, Phillips, Swailes, One. Referee: Tony Harrington (Durham).