Matt Taylor looks ahead to 'big opportunity' against Crawley as Bristol Rovers seek just rewards

Bristol Rovers manager Matt Taylor wants his team to put in the hard work and earn their rewards against Crawley Town on Saturday as the Gas look to get back on track in Sky Bet League Two.

Rovers have endured a tough start to the campaign, winning just two of their first seven matches and sitting 17th in the table. But Taylor is confident that his team can turn things around, starting with a victory at the Broadfield Stadium.

"It's a big opportunity for us," Taylor said. "We've been working hard in training this week and we're ready to go. We know that Crawley are a good side, but we're confident that we can get the win."

Taylor is expecting a tough match against Crawley, who are managed by former Rovers boss John Yems.

"Crawley are a well-organized team and they're always difficult to play against," Taylor said. "They've got some good players and they're always well-prepared.

"But we're confident that we can go there and get the win. We've got a good squad and we're starting to gel as a team. We just need to keep working hard and the results will come."

Rovers will be without the suspended James Connolly and injured Luke McCormick for the trip to Crawley.

But Taylor has a strong squad to choose from and he is confident that his team can cope with the absentees.

"We've got a good squad and we've got players who can come in and do a job," Taylor said. "We're not going to use injuries as an excuse.

"We're going to go there and try to win the game. We know it's going to be tough, but we're confident that we can get the result we want."