Danilo Orsi hit the winner as Crawley made it two league wins out of three to go third in the table with a 2-1 home win over previously unbeaten MK Dons.
The Reds, desperate to make up for their worst ever placing since entering the league in 2011, turned on the style as under-fire co-owner Preston Johnson looked on for the first time this season.
Midfielder Liam Kelly had a shot tipped over the bar by keeper Craig MacGillivray before the Reds opened the scoring in the 16th minute.
Nick Tsaroulla gave MacGillivray no chance with an angled shot into the far corner after an exchange of pass with Danilo Orsi.
The Dons levelled with their first meaningful attack on 27 minutes through Mo Eisa who raced through on a pass by strike partner Jonathan Leko to hit his third goal of the season.
Eisa’s shot lacked power and although Corey Addai got a hand to the ball it trickled into the net.
Tsaroulla forced keeper MacGillivray to make a scrambling save before Orsi restored Crawley’s lead with his first goal for the club on 52 minutes with a well placed shot into the corner of the net after an assist by Dom Telford.
The Dons later had a let-off when defender Jay Williams headed powerfully against the bar from a free-kick by Will Wright.
Former Grimsby striker Orsi was denied a second goal in the last minute of normal time when his goal-bound shot was saved by MacGillivray.
