COLCHESTER United have completed their third loan signing of the last two days, and their second from Preston, by snapping up striker Karl Hawley on a one-month deal.

Carl Marston

COLCHESTER United have completed their third loan signing of the last two days, 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.

Hawley, aged 27, began his career at Walsall but really made his mark at Carlisle, where he scored at a healthy rate of a goal nearly every two games - his record was 34 goals in 78 league appearances.

Hawley has found goals more difficult to come by in the Championship with Preston over the last couple of seasons. He signed for the Lilywhites on a free transfer during the summer of 2007.

Hawley and Trotman are both set to be in tomorrow's squad at league leaders Leicester City, although Vincent is sidelined by a knee injury.