Steve Evans admitted Crawley are down to the “bare bones” for tomorrow’s local derby with Eastbourne Borough as injuries and suspensions threaten to undermine their play-off push.

Danny Forrest joined the lengthy list of absentees when he was sent off ten minutes from time in yesterday’s goalless draw with Woking, who also had a player dismissed.

Fellow midfielder Dannie Bulman and defender Jake Wright – Crawley’s most consistent player in the first half of the season – are also banned while four players are out through injury or illness.

Skipper Chris Giles has spent Christmas in hospital with a virus while Lewis Killeen picked up an ankle injury in training and has joined Isaiah Rankin and Jamie Stevens on the sidelines.

Evans will have Glenn Wilson, whom he regards as the most improved player in the league this season, back after a ban and there is an outside chance that right-back Stevens, who took part in the pre-match warm-up yesterday, could be fit.

Evans said: “We are down to the bare bones for Sunday. If Eastbourne beat us it will be the only time because we won’t be at full strength.

“I have a lot of time for (Borough boss) Garry Wilson and his players and what they have achieved. But if Garry is complaining about losing his centre-half for three games he should try and cope with losing five or six first-choice players.”

Evans accused referee Rob Lee of “levelling things up” when he showed a straight red to Forrest for a challenge of Matt Pattison near the corner flag.

Lee had reduced Woking to ten men two minutes before half-time when Guiseppe Sole was sent off for a mis-timed tackle on Thomas Pinault and in both instances Evans felt, like opposite number Phil Gilchrist, the official over-reacted.

He said: “I think everyone in the ground knows he has levelled things up by sending Danny Forrest off.

“He was at the home end when the roar went up and if you cannot handle that as an official then it’s a problem. Perhaps their red should have been a yellow as well.”

Going down to ten men would not have made much difference had Reds been a bit more clinical in front of goal.

Woking had shown little ambition even before losing Sole with Wilfried Domoraud, who scored twice in the win at Lewes a week ago, operating as a lone frontman throughout.

It allowed Reds to dominate possession for long spells, particularly in the second half, but they struggled to break the home side down.

Woking goalkeeper Simon Eastwood was named man of the match but the save of the contest was made by opposite number Simon Rayner.

The big Canadian had been largely unemployed but came to Crawley’s rescue nine minutes from time when he somehow deflected Joel Ledgister’s powerful right-foot volley on to the post.

Reds had created the best opportunity of a first half punctuated by too many blasts of Mr Lee’s whistle.

A sublime touch from Jamie Cook enabled Simon Weatherstone to send Jon-Paul Pittman clear but Eastwood got down smartly to his left to keep out Pittman’s shot.

Weatherstone had more time than he thought inside the six-yard box when Pittman found him with an overhead kick and his header drifted wide and Cook made space to get in a shot just after the break with Eastwood blocked.

It set the pattern for most of the second half. Forrest had started at right-back but both he and Sam Rents played for most of the half as extra midfielders as Crawley took control and threw men forward.

Their two best chances both fell to Mikey Malcolm, but the finishing which had beaten Kidderminster a week ago deserted the on-loan winger.

Extra finishing practice will be on the agenda at training today.

Evans said: “We will be back at work today and this fat wee manager will show them how to finish!

“We have absolutely battered them apart from the first five minutes but you can’t miss chances like we have at this level.”

Woking: Eastwood, Magunda, Konan, Miles, Bunce, Ledgister, Spence, Sole, Marum (sub: Quamina 44), Pattison, Domoraud. Subs not used: Sam-Yorke, Gindre, Denton, Kamara.

Yellow cards: Magumba (foul, 26). Red card: Sole (foul 43).

Crawley: Rayner, Weatherstone, Wright, Quinn, Rents, Pinault, Bulman, Malcolm, Pittman (Fletcher 62), Cook, Forrest. Subs not used: Douglas, Carter, Mills, Raynor.

Yellow card: Quinn (foul, 80). Red card: Forrest (foul 80)