St Neots Town manager Matt Clements is targeting up to three new signings ahead of tomorrow’s Southern League transfer deadline.

Clements is determined to halt an alarming slide which has seen Saints suffer four successive Premier Division defeats – the worst run of his 15-month reign.

They have failed to score in three of those matches – including a 1-0 loss at Welsh side Merthyr last Saturday – and have fallen into the bottom half of the standings as a result.

While Saints have admittedly been hit by a host of injuries and illnesses, Clements is not prepared to tolerate the lacklustre performances of late.

He said: “I can only apologise to the fans for that as they have been short-changed in the last few weeks. I can assure them that the squad are in for a reality check.

“We’ve had bad luck with the amount of injuries and illness which have all come at once, but I’m also quite embarrassed with what I saw during the Merthyr game. It’s left me a bit numb to be honest.

“We were again lacklustre in front of goal and, for the first time in a long time, I’ve had to question the desire and ability of some players to improve.

“We’re hoping to get two – possibly even three – players in this week before the deadline to give the squad a boost.

“We haven’t been creating enough chances lately and the lack of goals is obviously a concern. We’re looking at a striker and a wideman, and we may add in another area as well if the possibility presents itself to us.”

Saints now sit 13th in the Premier Division table, but face a run of four successive matches against teams in the bottom seven.

That sequence starts with a home clash against Bishop’s Stortford this Saturday. It is followed by a March 31 trip to Dorchester, an Easter Monday derby clash against St Ives and an April 7 visit to Kings Langley.

Clements added: “We need to get out of this little slump as quickly as possible. We have a run of games ahead in which we would expect to be able to pick up points and we have to ensure that happens.

“We’re looking at performances in recent games and the next few weeks to judge whether or not players want to be here for the long term.”