FC CLACTON stalwart Kevin Coyle is unlikely to play again this season.

The long-serving wide man has been struggling with a knee injury and been told he needs a scan, to determine the extent of the damage.

Coyle played and scored in Saturday's 4-3 defeat at Long Melford - a goal that took his overall tally to 87 and made him FC Clacton's second-highest goal-scorer, leapfrogging Matt Waters.

"I injured my knee in a home game a couple of months ago," said Coyle, the brother of successful former Seasiders manager David.

"I've kept playing but it's got worse and I'm in real pain now.

"I've got a young family and a job to consider and football-wise I know I'm not playing to my potential, which upsets me.

"I saw a doctor last week and he's going to refer me to a surgeon, who will do a scan to find out what the problem is.

"Saturday was always likely to be my last game and I'd rather rest, get it sorted and hopefully be in a position to start afresh next season.

"I'm going to help (boss) Kieron (Shelley) in an assistant manager role until the end of the season (Clacton have not had a number two since Jon Willis left for Stanway Rovers just after Christmas).

"It'll be good to stay involved and I get on well with Kieron.

"He's always confided in me and shown me respect and we speak a lot on the phone."

Keiron Baker and Jamie Beecham scored Clacton's other goals in Saturday's Thurlow Nunn League defeat at Stoneylands.

They were four-down before fighting back and nearly snatching a share of the spoils.

The setback means they face a massive task to avoid the bottom three, as they are eight point behind fourth-from-bottom Ely City.

The Cambridgeshire side also have six games in hand.

Coyle admits it will take a miracle if his side are to clamber to safety, but insists they must not wave the white flag.

"Saturday was a tough one to take," said.

"We had so many chances whereas Melford didn't get out of their half for 40 minutes.

"Then they got two penalties - the second of which was very soft - and suddenly we were 2-0 down.

"Then we conceded again at the start of the second half and it was only when we were four-down that we showed any fight.

"Clearly, it's going to be difficult to get out of the bottom three now.

"We've only got nine games left and need to win at least five or six of them - a run of results we haven't managed all season - to stand any chance.

"It's such a big ask, especially when you consider that we've still got to play the likes of Gorleston (at the Bowl on Saturday) and Mildenhall.

"There are three or four winnable games, though, and we have to give our all.

"You never know what's going to happen and we have to make sure we avoid bottom spot.

"We've stayed up with one point before because of reprieves (due to restructuring of the non-league pyramid) and we know the higher we finish the more chance we've got.

"Third-from-bottom could be very different to second-from-bottom and I certainly don't think our season's over.

"We have to give our all and can't let things peter out."

Clacton fixed up a friendly at home to Weeley Athletic on Tuesday but the match was postponed because the pitch was deemed unfit.