Manager Darren Way achieved both his biggest win as a manager and highest league position courtesy of three first half strikes and two after the break.

In a dominant performance, Town stormed into a 3-0 lead at the break thanks to goals from each of the front three; Tom Eaves, Otis Khan and Ryan Hedges all finding the back of the net.

Not letting off after the restart, Yeovil added a fourth on 51 minutes as Khan helped himself to a second, before substitute Francois Zoko rounded off the scoring lifting Way’s side to 6th in League Two, extending the unbeaten run to eight games in the process. 

Way stuck with the side that came away from Accrington Stanley with a share of the spoils last weekend, with Darren Ward absent once again with swelling on his knee. The one change to the Glovers squad saw Matt Butcher return from suspension in place of Kyle Copp, who dropped out of the matchday 18. 

In the knowledge that a win would see Town move into the play-offs, Way’s side immediately began on the front foot and constricted the Reds with their relentless pressing. 

Inside the opening 10 minutes Khan and Hedges enjoyed plenty of ball down the flanks, but it was Ben Whitfield’s cross which found Eaves in the box after 7 minutes, but the frontman couldn’t direct his effort goalwards. 

Penned in their own half Crawley struggled to contain the rampant Glovers, and the deadlock was broken on 16 minutes.

Alex Lawless’ cross-field pass was brought down by Khan, who drove inside Aryan Tajbakhsh and whipped an effort goalwards, which was skilfully flicked past Glen Morris by the perfectly placed Eaves a few yards from goal. 

Town continued to create chances as Alex Lacey headed over the bar from Ryan Dickson’s cross after a well-worked short corner, but the hosts lead was soon doubled.

With 28 minutes on the clock, Nathan Smith’s long ball was flicked into the path of Hedges by the dominant Eaves, with the Swansea loanee controlling well before emphatically finding the back of the net from inside the box. 

That sparked a short-lived response from Dermot Drummy’s side as Jordan Robers saw a dipping free-kick fly just over, before Lacey’s clearance cannoned off of teammate Dickson and almost wound up in the back of the Yeovil net. 

With just over five minutes left of the half Way’s side added the third goal their performance deserved, with the third of the Glovers three frontmen getting on the scoresheet. 

Eaves’ through ball found Kevin Dawson wide on the right, whose throughball was well controlled by Khan before being dispatched into the bottom corner to send the home crowd into raptures.

Not stunted by the half-time break Yeovil continued on the front foot and Khan added a fourth and his second six minutes after the restart. 

After whipping a free-kick just wide minutes before, the wideman followed up brilliantly to fire home an effort from close range after Norris did well to save Hedges’ driven shot from Whitfield’s cross.

With Crawley a deflated side, Town added a fifth with a little under 20 minutes remaining courtesy of Zoko, who found the back of the net from the angle after Khan showed his vision with a superb pass from the edge of the box. 

That was as good as it got in terms of goal scoring action, but the hosts comfortably saw out the closing stages to move up to sixth in League Two on goal difference after the demolition of the Reds at Huish Park. 

As well as extending their unbeaten run to eight games, Way’s side equalled the club’s highest ever margin of victory since entering the Football League, winning by five goals for the first time since beating Oxford United 6-1 in 2004. 

Yeovil Town: Krysiak; Shephard (Mugabi 45’), Lacey, Smith, Dickson; Dawson, Lawless, Whitfield (Campbell 78’); Hedges, Eaves (Zoko 70’), Khan.

Bookings: Shephard 37’.

Subs not used: Maddison, Ezewele, Butcher, Sowunmi.

Crawley Town: Morris; Tajbakhsh (Boldewijn 45’), Connolly, Davey, Blackman (Bawling 45’); Smith, Payne; Yussuf, Clifford, Roberts (Henderson 58’); Collins. 

Bookings: Davey 9’, Payne 21’, Tajbakhsh 40’, Roberts 47’.

Subs not used: Beeney, Garnett, Djalo, Watt.