GAVIN TOMLIN has backed Crawley team-mate Izale McLeod to bounce back strongly from his penalty failure at MK Dons on Saturday.

Former Dons striker McLeod had a penalty saved with the score at 1-0 and the hosts down to ten men during a 2-0 defeat for Crawley at Stadium.mk on Saturday.

The Reds have now lost four games on the trot in all competitions.

Tomlin, who made his second start of the season, said: “He is a professional and he will be disappointed because everybody wants to win games.

“At that point of the game it was a crucial penalty. If we had scored that it would have been a different game.

“He will be disappointed but that is football. He will pick himself up, he is a strong character and he will continue to score goals.”

Crawley get a chance to halt their losing sequence tomorrow night with a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie at home to Cambridge United, who beat Carlisle 5-0 in League Two on Saturday.

Joe Walsh and Gwion Edwards both miss the game as they are in the Wales under-21 squad for games against Finland on Friday and Lithuania next Tuesday.

Bobson Bawling is also a doubt after limping off after 15 minutes at MK Dons on Saturday.