Crawley Town's Izale McLeod has been named the Sky Bet League 1 Player of the Month for February.
McLeod showed his full goalscoring talents with a hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Barnsley that owed everything to power, persistence and precision.He also scored against Yeovil Town, while his hold-up play underpinned the 2-1 win at Swindon Town.
Crawley Town manager Dean Saunders said: “As a team our performance levels picked up in February and Izale’s goals and his general play were a big part of that.
“He’s a good finisher, as his hat-trick against Barnsley showed, and he is a willing front-runner.
“This award is reward for his hard work but I’m sure he’d also be the first to thank his team-mates for their help in him achieving what he did.”
Sky Sports’ Football League pundit Don Goodman said: “Izale McLeod has flourished under the stewardship of Dean Saunders, scoring six goals in nine since he took over.
“It’s clear that the bond between the two is strong and Saunders’ own goalscoring ability seems to be rubbing off on his talismanic striker.”
Sky Bet Football Trading Manager Paul Lowery said: “McLeod has really helped Crawley in their relegation fight, not least by scoring a hat-trick in a 5-1 demolition of Barnsley.”
The judging panel for the Sky Bet Player of the Month comprises Sky Sports Football League expert Don Goodman; Football League Head of Communications John Nagle; League Managers Association Director Olaf Dixon and Sky Bet Football Trading Manager Paul Lowery.