RYAN Leonard insisted Southend United’s 1-1 draw at Bury felt more like a defeat for the players.

The Shrimpers led until the first minute of stoppage time at Gigg Lane when Anton Forrester secured a point for the Shakers when he headed home a Craig Jones free-kick.

And that left the whole team feeling gutted, according to Leonard.

“To be honest this feels like we’ve actually lost the game and it’s like we’ve lost the game rather than drawn it,” said Leonard, 21.

“We were 1-0 up until right at the end and I thought we had been playing well too.

“We had a few other chances and should probably have been out of sight.

“But missed opportunities happen in football and we still should have been able to see the game out.

“To concede from a set piece again is also disappointing and we should have done better.”

Bury’s late equaliser came after Ben Coker had been sent off for two bookable offences.

Yet Leonard was not sure the defender’s dismissal was the correct decision.

“We’re not convinced about the red card but it shouldn’t have changed anything,” said Leonard.

“I’m not convinced Cokes meant the goal he scored either but we’re disappointed it didn’t prove to be the winner.

“I actually thought we had been defending well all the way through the game and that makes the goal we conceded at the end there even harder to take.”

Blues have now not triumphed in their last five games and will be bidding to get back to winning ways when they host Bristol Rovers at Roots Hall on Friday night.

“We’ve stopped the run of defeats and we will go again against Bristol Rovers on Friday,” said Leonard.

“We’ll have a good week in training, work hard and then go out to get the three points in that game.”