Nico Cotton is likely to play his last game for Lowestoft Town on Saturday against Dorking after which his loan spell at the Amber Dew Events Stadium comes to an end.

Cotton was on target in the Trawlerboys' 2-2 draw at Tonbridge Angels on Saturday but manager Dale Brooks admitted the Blues are unlikely to be able to keep the Southend United winger beyond Saturday. However, Matthew Foy has agreed to extend his loan from Cambridge United for an extra month whilst Dan Humphries will also remain with Lowestoft from Southend although he will be sidelined for a couple of weeks after suffering concussion against Tonbridge.

'Matty is in the process of re-signing for another month, but we're 99 per cent certain that Saturday will be Nico's last game for us,' said Brooks.

'Nico is a bit older than the other two lads we've got and he can only have two loans in a season. He probably needs to go a bit higher than us to show what he's all about to Southend - that was always part of the plan for him and I understand that.

'Saturday was probably his best game for us and I thought you could see he was from a pro club – he ran at players and used the ball really well.'

Brooks was pleased with the character his side showed at the weekend when, after going 2-0 down early on, his side rallied to secure a point thanks to goals from Harvey Hodd and Cotton.

'When we went 2-0 down and lost Dan (Humphries) to a head injury I thought we started to knock the ball around really well.

'I see a lot of young coaches wanting to encourage their teams to play out from the back.

'That's all right if you're Manchester City and have got the players to do it. But if you're playing at our level on some of the pitches we do then you're asking for trouble.

'What I would say is get the ball forward and then let your football come out - if you lose the ball up there you're not 18 yards from your goal.

'I always say do the right things at the right time in the right areas - that's what I want my team to do.'

Brooks hopes Rory McAuley and Rossi Jarvis will be back in contention this afternoon although Dean Leacock and Ollie Humphrey remain absent.