Gavin Tomlin has praised manager Dean Saunders for putting a smile back on his face.

The Crawley striker returns to his former club Port Vale tonight enjoying his football more than he has done for the last two years.

Tomlin struggled to settle at Vale Park last season and jumped at the chance to move back to his native London in the summer when John Gregory offered him an escape route.

But things soon turned sour at the Checkatrade.com Stadium with Tomlin struggling to make any impact and becoming the target of abuse from supporters as Reds slid towards the League One trapdoor.

The 32-year-old came close to leaving on loan before Gregory stepped aside in December but the turnaround in his fortunes has been remarkable since Saunders took over on an interim basis after Christmas.

Tomlin has featured in ten of the 14 games under Saunders, including starts in the previous four games, and has found the net twice in his last five outings to help secure priceless wins at Swindon and Colchester.

His revival has mirrored that of the team as a whole. Reds go to Port Vale tonight seeking a third win in their last four away games to further fuel the hope that they can scramble clear of the relegation zone.

Tomlin said: “It was a really difficult start for me. I missed part of pre-season and after that I felt like I was always trying to play catch up.

“I found it difficult to settle in the team and I was playing in all different types of positions. I don’t want to make excuses but I have been playing consistently in the last five or six games and I think that has shown in my performances.

“I’m enjoying myself again since the gaffer (Saunders) has come in. I’m feeling really comfortable out there and am getting a better understanding of my team-mates. I feel really good at the minute and hopefully I can carry this form on until the end of the season because I want to play my part in helping us stay in this division.”

Tomlin scored just six goals in 28 games during an injury-disrupted season at Port Vale and decided to walk out halfway through a two-year deal in the summer.

Port Vale (4-4-1-1, probable): Neal; Veseli, Robertson, McGivern, Dickenson; Moore, O’Connor, Brown, Marshall; Dodds; Pope. Subs from: Yates, Johnson, Lloyd, Birchall, Duffy, Daniel, Williamson, O’Sullivan.

Crawley (4-4-1-1, possible): Price; Young, Wood, Ward, Bradley; Pogba, Fowler, Wordsworth, Dickson; Tomlin; McLeod. Subs from: Jensen, Bawling, Elliott, Anderson, Morgan, Edwards, Smith, Oyebanjo.