Lowestoft Town boss Dale Brooks will be looking to build on his first win in sole charge of the Blues when they travel to Thurrock this evening (kick-off 7.45pm).

The Trawlerboys ground out an important 1-0 victory over Merstham at the weekend courtesy of Jacek Zielonka's first-half winner.

The three points lifted the Blues up to 15th in the Bostik League Premier Division table to ease fears the Blues were getting sucked into trouble at the wrong end of the table.

Brooks knows he will be working with a small squad and crucial to that will be his key players staying fit to help his side climb the table.

MORE: Lowestoft Town 1 Merstham 0 - match reportBoth Rossi Jarvis and Andrew Fisk have returned to the engine room of his side recently with both prominent in the win at the weekend.

Brooks is keen not to push the experienced midfielders too hard though and admits both will need to be managed carefully to ensure they avoid further injury problems.

'I think we've probably pushed them too hard, too quickly in the past,' said Brooks, who took over the reins from Ady Gallagher at the start of the month. 'We have had to leave them on the pitch when they could really do with coming off after 70 minutes or so.

'They are very experienced players but they need managing through their injuries. I think we can do that a lot better.'

Brooks will therefore have a decision to make ahead of the trip this evening whether the pair can cope with another match so soon after Saturday.

Tonight's opponents, Thurrock, will be looking to pull themselves away from trouble although they will be buoyed by a 2-0 win at home against Harrow Borough at the weekend.

They will be keen to avenge the 1-0 defeat suffered at the Amber Dew Events Stadium in September when Rory McAuley struck a late winner.

Lowestoft fans will be hoping for something similar in Essex and Brooks admits he has been pleased with how fans have taken to him since his appointment.

'I think the fans have been great since I've been at the club,' he said. 'They are opinionated, which they have every right to be. We need to keep giving them something good to shout about.'