Stockport boss Dave Challinor admitted his promotion-chasing side should have gone on to beat Crawley after letting themselves down with a “very poor first half” at the Broadfield Stadium.

Antoni Sarcevic headed the visitors in front just after the hour mark but Klaidi Lolos ran through to drag Crawley level seven minutes from time.

The late goal denied Stockport the chance to cut the gap on leaders Mansfield to two points and leaves Challinor’s men with only one win from their last seven games.

He said: “It’s frustrating because for me the feeling is it’s a carbon copy of last Thursday (when Stockport drew 2-2 at Salford).

“It was a poor first 45 minutes followed by a second half in which we do enough to win the game but don’t do it.

“They (Crawley) will be disappointed with the way we scored but we work hard on the training ground on set-pieces and sometimes it comes off. “

Challinor believes his men must respond better after going in front in games, adding: “What happens to players I don’t know. Sometimes you think it’s fear when they’re in front and it leads to a sort of panic.”

“I can speculate on many things as to why there was such a difference between the two halves, but what’s the point?

“We’ve got to move on to the next game and it’s a big one (at home to MK Dons on Saturday).”

A Crawley win would have earned them a place in the top seven and manager Scott Lindsey confessed the mood in the dressing room afterwards was “a bit flat.”

However, he tried to concentrate on the positives after Lolos’ late goal left his team with only one defeat in their last eight games.

The former Swindon boss said: “The overriding feeling is a bit flat because we knew we’d be in the play-offs had we won.

“But to come back against a really strong side like Stockport, a side who are going to get promoted, and to take points in both matches we’ve played against them makes me proud.”

Crawley are only a point outside the play-off places and Lindsey still believes they are in a good position.

He added: “If you look at the table, the Gods are shining on us at the moment.  We’re in the best position of all the teams who want to get in the play-offs. “

Greece-born Lolos has now scored in his last three games and Lindsey believes he is the type of player he needs to keep on the pitch for as long as possible.

He explained: “Lolos had a quiet night but I know even when he’s not playing at his best he has that threat to make things happen and it was a great finish.”