DURING another day of frenzied activity in the loan market, Colchester United striker Scott Vernon has signed on a one-month loan to League One strugglers Northampton Town.

Carl Marston

DURING another day of frenzied activity in the loan market, Colchester United striker Scott Vernon has signed on a one-month loan to League One strugglers Northampton Town.

Vernon has been in and out of the U's team all season, during which he has scored four goals.

The ex-Blackpool striker said: "I am happy to go and play some games really, because I am not playing enough here at the moment. It has been a mixed season for me on a personal level."

Northampton boss Stuart Gray said: "Scott is a striker with a decent goals record. He is a hard-working striker and the sort of player who can come in and make an impact."

Vernon is poised to make his Cobblers debut against Stockport tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, the U's completed their third loan signing of the last 48 hours, and their second from Preston, by snapping up striker Karl Hawley on a one-month deal.

Front-runner Hawley therefore joins Preston team-mate Neal Trotman, who moved from Deepdale on a similar one-month loan deal on Thursday, and also winger Ashley Vincent, who switched from Cheltenham.

And Hawley could well start alongside Clive Platt up front at Leicester tomorrow, especially after Vernon's departure for Northampton.