Gilmartin vows to bounce back

Walsall goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin has vowed to return stronger and pledged to learn from his nightmare comeback to the team.

The 22-year-old has endured a torrid time in two games since replacing Clayton Ince – shipping five at Southampton before gifting Steve Morison a goal in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Millwall.

Now the Saddlers go to Leyton Orient this weekend aiming to improve a run of just three wins in 15 games with Gilmartin vowing his howler will make him a better player.

He said: "When you make mistakes you can either hide and go into your shell or learn from them and move on. That's what I'll do.

"I've made mistakes before and, like all footballers, will make mistakes in the future. It's about how you react and I'll react in the right manner.

"It was a misjudgement from me. I'm a young keeper and I will make mistakes but it's about learning and bouncing back. I was gutted for myself, the team and the fans.

"You don't want to do it but these things happen in football."

Gilmartin's mix-up with Jamie Vincent gifted Millwall a route back into the game as the Lions came back from 2-0 down.

But the player insists his confidence hasn't been hit after learning to deal with any criticism and owning up to errors.

He said: "Goalkeepers need to be thick-skinned because one mistake can result in a goal. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say you made a mistake.

"I've done that and now it's time to look forward rather than back. I always go out there and give 100% and I've made a mistake but that doesn't mean I'm not giving 100%.

"It is hard to take but this is a new week now. I've spoken to our goalkeeping coach Mick Kearns about a few things and I've taken his comments on board."

Gilmartin replaced Ince in the 5-1 drubbing at Southampton last week – his first game since October – and believes Kearns' influence is crucial.

He said: "Having Mick is massive for me. The work I've done with Mick has got me back in the team. I have to look at what I can take out and improve on that."