Newport County boss Peter Beadle has signed a striker ahead of tomorrow's vital Conference South visit to Bognor Regis Town (kick-off 3pm), but typically he still has problems to deal with.

Beadle has signed 19-year old front-runner Nathan Bailey, released from the Reading academy earlier this season, on a non-contract basis.

He has since been training with Darlington and had a trial spell at Chippenham since leaving Reading and will be involved tomorrow.

Beadle explained: "Ideally we'd like to bring in an experienced targetman type of centre-forward, but so far we've had little luck on that front. We can't pay a fee and people are looking at the league table and deciding against a move here.

"But Nathan is very hungry to play and we decided to have a look at him this week. "He has trained with us and looks good, he has clearly been well brought up at Reading and could be an asset for us.

"He is similar to Matt Green in a way, not very experienced but full of enthusiasm and he is very athletic, I think he could be a handful."

Bailey will go into the squad for tomorrow's game, but Beadle has had plenty of issues to contend with this week, due to unforeseen problems.

Full-back Geraint Bater reacted angrily to losing out to new signing Andy Legg for a starting place after Saturday's defeat at Weymouth and has been fined as a result.

"Geraint breached club discipline after the Weymouth game, but he has apologised to everyone and made it clear he still wants to be part of this club and our relegation fight," Beadle said.

However, Terry Evans, dropped for the first time under Beadle in the same match, appears to have played his last game for the club.

It is understood that Evans wants to join Merthyr and failed to turn up for training this week. Evans has not returned several phone calls from County, though seven days notice has not yet been served on the player.

Central defender Gareth Warton has joined Merthyr, as he isn't considered part of Beadle's first team plans. "Gareth has been exemplary in his conduct at this club, having signed very quickly when Darren (Jones) and Andrew (Thomas) were suddenly no longer available to me," Beadle said.

"But he isn't going to feature much until the end of the season and leaves for Merthyr with my best wishes, he really needs some games under his belt"

On the injury front, striker Matt Green has trained once this week and if he doesn't suffer an adverse reaction on his ankle injury today, then he will be considered fit to start at Bognor.

Lee Jenkins has stepped up his rehabilitation after suffering a medial knee ligament injury and he may be fit to play against Basingstoke next Saturday.

Meanwhile, Beadle called his senior players together for a meeting this week in which he demanded more from them on and off the field.

He explained: "We need our senior players more than ever at the moment and I feel very strongly that they could be giving me and the club more.

"It was a very positive meeting and it needed to be because we have to all be in this together.