Mikey Malcolm believes extra graft on the training ground is helping him produce the best form of his Crawley career.

The 25-year-old former Tottenham trainee has been taking part in extra sessions with in-form Charlie Ademeno after moving from midfield to partner Ademeno up front.

Malcolm had not started a first team game since August 29 when he got back in the side in the 2-1 defeat at Hayes and Yeading on November 21.

Since then he has started Reds’ last nine games and his return to the team has coincided with Crawley’s best run of the season which has seen them win four of their last five matches.

Malcolm’s contribution to the goal chart during that time was his solitary strike against Gateshead but he is enjoying his longest unbroken run in the starting line-up since he joined the club in October 2008.

He said: “As long as I am in the team I don’t mind where I play, I would be happy at left-back.

“But I grew up playing as a striker so I know the ins and outs of playing up front – what runs to make and how to get in behind defenders.

“The only thing I lack is physical strength to cope with big defenders sometimes but I think I have done a good job in recent weeks.

“Charlie and I do extra bits and pieces after training on forward play and how to improve as a partnership and I think it is paying off.”

Malcolm’s recent goals return may have been modest but Ademeno has scored five in his last three games including a hat-trick in just over four minutes against Grays 11 days ago.

The scouts have been flocking to watch him and manager Steve Evans has already turned down two bids, believed to be from Walsall and MK Dons, for the 21-year-old who he values at around £100,000.

Malcolm admits he would not be surprised if Ademeno moved on during the transfer window.

He added: “Chas is still young and learning the game but he has definitely got an eye for goal.

“He was struggling a bit with injuries for a while but now he’s found his feet I wouldn’t be shocked if a couple of clubs came in for him although I’m sure the gaffer would like to hold onto him.”

Ademeno will be trying to score for the fourth successive game when Reds’ FA Trophy second round tie against Chelmsford City eventually goes ahead.

Tomorrow’s tie will almost certainly be called off and the chances of the game taking place on Monday are described by Chelmsford officials as “virtually nil.”

In the depths of a freezing mid-winter the prospect of playing in a Wembley final in the Spring sunshine seems an awful long way off.

But Malcolm, who lives just ten minutes from Wembley, has more incentive than most.

He added: “I can see the stadium from where I live and if we got there I could walk down!

“I haven’t even watched a game there, never mind played at Wembley and it would be fantastic to get there with Crawley.

“Why not? When we were in our bad run we sat down as a squad and discussed areas of our performances which had led to those defeats and tried to turn them into a positive.

“We have started winning games we were losing before and beating Eastbourne 2-0 on New Year’s Day was a very big win for us.

“If we continue to play like that there’s no reason why we can’t push on in the Trophy and up the league table. There is a lot of confidence in the squad at the moment.”