Grimsby Town bosses hoping to hold onto loan stars

GRIMSBY Town's bosses would like to keep all four of their loan rangers on a "more permanent basis".

Rob Scott and Paul Hurst allowed Anthony Elding to join Preston North End on loan yesterday, as reported at thisisgrimsby.co.uk/sport.

With the frontman gone until the start of January, and unlikely to return, the joint managers are planning to strengthen their squad.

The arrival of another temporary signing could be one option, and Scott is also hopeful of tying down Town's current loan stars on a more permanent basis.

Freeview aerials/ Freesat installs

Skyline

View details

Print voucher

Any freeview or freesat install for only £49 to one room, additional rooms £20 extra per room

Terms: Only covers standard install.

Contact: 01472800127

Valid until: Tuesday, December 31 2013

Marcus Marshall's one-month stay is due to end in little more than two weeks, while Scott Neilson and Ross Hannah are set to remain at Blundell Park until the week before Christmas.

And Nathan Pond will return to Fleetwood Town at the turn of the year if no new deal is agreed.

Scott told the Telegraph: "It (Elding's departure) enables us to have a look around and see what else is available to us.

"We'll be looking to do something in the future with a similar outcome to Anthony going the other way – we'll be looking to get somebody in with a view to making that permanent in January.

"That's nothing against the players that we've got here, but we only had 16 training yesterday and four of those were loan players.

"We're under no illusions that we do need to fix somebody down, but we can't do that until January.

"With the loan lads that we've got at the football club, we'd like them all to stay but that's beyond our control to some degree.

"We're working on those four to see if we can do something on a more permanent basis and see where we end up – and also looking to bring another player into the building.

"That's not going to be before the Braintree game tomorrow, though, it's an ongoing process."

Despite Elding's exit and Liam Hearn's long-term injury lay-off, the Town bosses have four fit strikers to choose from for the Iron's visit tomorrow.

Scott added: "We're pleased with what we've got up front at the moment – Greg Pearson is certainly coming back into the equation and Dayle Southwell is right on the periphery of things at the moment.

"We've got four good centre-forwards and we also know that Marcus Marshall can play up there as well.

"There's options for us so we're not desperately scouring around.

"We're always looking, but we're not at our wits' end searching for somebody, and I'm sure that player will crop up within the next three to four weeks."