TOWN manager Peter Jackson was today busily stepping up efforts to sign a striker.
Hurt by Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to struggling Darlington, which dropped Town two places to seventh, Jackson is ready to recruit before the away double-header against Torquay and Bristol Rovers.
A third highest crowd of the season - 11,014 including 666 extra Quid-a-Kid juniors - witnessed Town fire blanks at the McAlpine for only the third time in the campaign.
"It is not because Jon Stead has gone and this is not the end of the world - we will pick ourselves up," vowed Jackson today.
"We had one of those days where the quality was missing in our passing, final ball and keeping possession and it was very disappointing that we didn't really look like scoring.
"I felt Jon Newby deserved a chance and that Nat Brown played extremely well - putting himself about - but with Stead gone and Andy Booth injured we didn't have a lot of goals in the starting line-up (11 for the season) and that's something I intend to address.
"I am out at a couple of matches this week and hopefully something will come of that and we'll have a fresh face on board by the time we go to Torquay on Saturday.
"It won't be easy because some players don't want to drop on loan into the Third Division and it was disappointing to get that response from two strikers with Premier League clubs last week, but hopefully we'll have better luck over the next few days."
Jackson paid tribute to the fans, who bottled much of their frustration at seeing Ian Clark (penalty) and Neil Maddison end hopes of a seventh straight win which would have equalled a 22-year best for the club.
