Mohamed Eisa equalled a Cheltenham club record of 20 league goals in his debut season with a brace as the Robins ran out 5-3 winners at Crawley.
Crawley's play-off hopes have faltered in recent weeks and they are now without a win in five games.
The Reds, with only two home defeats since mid-October, found themselves 2-0 down after only 12 minutes with Harry Pell bagging both of them.
Pell, returning from suspension, ran through to put Cheltenham ahead on seven minutes with a shot from the edge of the area which flew into the top corner.
Eisa was then pulled down inside the area by Josh Yorwerth and Pell, after seeing his penalty saved by keeper Glenn Morris, followed up to bundle home the rebound.
Cheltenham skipper Carl Winchester shot over with only Morris to beat but Crawley's nightmare first half continued after 36 minutes when Eisa latched onto a long ball to coolly steer home from close range.
He pounced to hit Cheltenham's fourth two minutes after the break with a shot from a tight angle, and Karlan Ahearne-Grant pulled one back for Crawley on 51 minutes with his eighth goal in nine games.
Defender Will Boyle got in on the act to make it 5-1 for the Robins two minutes later, rising unchallenged to head home Jake Andrews' corner.
Spirited late pressure was rewarded as striker Panutche Camara headed Crawley's second from a cross by Lewis Young 16 minutes from time and defender Young made it 5-3 after keeper Scott Flinders could only parry Camara's shot.
English League Two Standings
POS | Team | GP | GD | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cheltenham Town | 31 | +15 | 56 |
2 | Cambridge United | 33 | +18 | 55 |
3 | Forest Green Rovers | 31 | +11 | 54 |
4 | Tranmere Rovers | 31 | +7 | 54 |
5 | Morecambe | 32 | +1 | 52 |
6 | Bolton Wanderers | 32 | +1 | 50 |
7 | Salford City | 31 | +15 | 49 |
8 | Newport County | 31 | +6 | 48 |
9 | Exeter City | 30 | +14 | 47 |
10 | Bradford City | 30 | +3 | 46 |
11 | Harrogate Town | 32 | -1 | 45 |
12 | Carlisle United | 28 | +7 | 43 |
13 | Leyton Orient | 31 | +3 | 42 |
14 | Crawley Town | 30 | +1 | 41 |
15 | Walsall | 31 | -4 | 38 |
16 | Stevenage | 33 | -4 | 38 |
17 | Oldham Athletic | 31 | -7 | 38 |
18 | Scunthorpe United | 30 | -7 | 38 |
19 | Mansfield Town | 31 | -3 | 37 |
20 | Colchester United | 31 | -10 | 36 |
21 | Port Vale | 32 | -5 | 34 |
22 | Southend United | 32 | -26 | 28 |
23 | Barrow | 30 | -8 | 26 |
24 | Grimsby Town | 30 | -27 | 24 |
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