A superb first-half performance set up an impressive 5-2 win for Carlisle United at struggling Crawley Town.
The win marked Paul Simpson’s first year back in charge at Carlisle and as a bonus moved the Blues up to second in the table.
They were 4-0 ahead at half-time and it would be no consolation to relegation-haunted Crawley that they won the second-half 2-1.
This was Carlisle’s biggest away win of the season and was built on a ruthless first-half display which capitalised on some weak defending by their hosts.
This was their third successive defeat and they have now won only once in ten games, and easy to see why they have slid to next-to-bottom.
It took the only 15 minutes for United to take the lead through Joel Senior who scored with a far post header from a cross by Jon Mellish.
Five minutes later Joel Lynch gave the ball away and a clever through ball from Owen Moxon found Omari Patrick who drove home the second goal.
Moxon was credited with the third goal in the 26th minute, beating three defenders before driving the ball home to the delight of the 500 travelling fans behind the goal.
Those supporters were in dreamland in the 38th minute when a free-kick by Moxon was forced home at the second attempt by Morgan Feeney after keeper Ryan Schofield had blocked his first effort.
Five minutes after the break Crawley pulled one back when substitute Aramide Oteh netted from close in.
But there was to be no dramatic fight-back for in the 57th minute Mellish scored the fifth Carlisle goal from a Jack Armer corner.
Dom Telford had the final word for Crawley, but by no means an emphatic one, when he scrambled in a second consolation goal.
