Lowestoft Town joint boss Ady Gallagher insists the Blues can still play a part in the promotion race despite losing more ground at the top following Saturday's 3-0 reverse to Hampton & Richmond.

Injuries meant the Trawlerboys only had 11 senior players to choose from once again as the need for reinforcements was laid bare but Gallagher insists the club retains the same ambition as it has had in recent years.

'The ambition of the management team and the players has not changed – we won't be giving up on anything,' said Gallagher, whose side sit six points off Dulwich Hamlet in fifth place having played two games more. 'We've had a lot of success over the last few years and that wasn't on the back of thinking negatively about things.

'This season has not started as well as we would have liked but no other team is really running away with things at the top of the division.

'We know that when we have a full squad to pick from we are more than a match for anyone at this level. If we can add one or two to the squad then that will help us.'

Gallagher insists the management team is acutely aware of the need to bring in fresh blood but will not just bring players in at the risk of diluting the quality that exists within the squad.

'It's always possible that one or two players might be brought in but we won't do it just for the sake of it,' he added. 'We are hugely aware that we are down to the bare XI. We need to get players back from injury as soon as possible.'

Lowestoft were given a lesson in clinical finishing against Hampton as the Blues struggled to turn their early dominance into goals.

Once Hampton got their noses in front Gallagher admitted Lowestoft didn't have the options on the bench to change the course of the game.

'This is no disrespect to the young lads that we've got on the bench but the outfield players on there had only got five senior appearances between them,' he said. 'We had the bare 11 senior players but we did not get the reaction that we wanted.

'The pressure of playing with a very small squad is starting to have an effect. The one thing that I was very pleased about was the fact that the lads never stopped trying to find a way back into the game. There was still a lot of spirit among the lads and everyone still wanted to get on the ball – no-one went hiding which I think says a lot about our players.'

Manny Osei is suspended for tomorrow's trip to Thamesmead whilst the Blues are hopeful Curtley Williams (back) and Erkan Okay (dead leg) will be fit. Rossi Jarvis could also come back into contention after suffering a virus.