FRANK Gray is hoping to sign a striker with a proven Blue Square South record in time for Saturday’s trip to Hampton and Richmond Borough.

The Basingstoke Town manager has moved quickly to find a replacement for on-loan forward Ross Montague, who injured his knee while training at parent club Brentford.

The extent of the injury is not yet known but Gray has already agreed to bring a striker to the Camrose on loan from a BS Premier side.

“He is a proven goalscorer at this level and has played above as well,” Gray said. “He will give us another option in attack, especially if Ross’ injury proves to be serious, and we are hoping he will be the goalscorer we have been missing.”

The deal will not be done until tomorrow but the new man should be available for Saturday, when Town travel up the M3 to face high-flying Hampton and Richmond Borough (kick-off 3pm).

Gray will be without Sam Tucknott, whose is still recovering from a bruised bone in his ankle, while centre-back Jason Bristow is due to have a knee op tomorrow and will be out for several weeks.

Basingstoke are unbeaten in six matches but three of these have been cup games and they remain second-bottom in the Blue Square South, though a win on Saturday could lift them out of relegation zone, if other results go their way.

Both of their league wins have come away from home and Gray is hoping for another result in south west London on Saturday.

“We will be looking to keep our away form up and continue the run we are in,” he said. “We need to keep picking points up and that is exactly what we will aim to do.”

Hampton and Richmond will certainly provide a difficult test. They are third in the table with 35 points from 19 games, are unbeaten in four league outings and have won five out of nine at home.

“Hampton and Richmond are going well and it will be a tough game but we have got to go there and play the way we have been playing recently,” Gray said. “If we do that, we will be ok.”

The sides met at the Camrose on the opening day of the season, Hampton claiming a draw with a second half equaliser after James Faulkner had put Town ahead from a penalty.

“We could have won and that should give us confidence going into the return match,” Gray added. “We knew it would be a tough opener because they would be there or thereabouts and so it has proved.”

Hampton and Richmond’s top scorer is former Basingstoke youngster Ben Wright. The striker was allowed to leave the club by former manager Francis Vines but Gray refuses to dwell on the past.

“Players come and go from clubs,” the manager said. “He had left before I got here and there’s no point looking back and wishing things had happened differently.”