Croydon Athletic top scorer Reggie Savage is expected to join Ryman Premier side Heybridge Swifts on Saturday.

The striker, who only returned to the Rams in December after unsuccessful loan spells at AFC Wimbledon and Bromley, is expected to play his last game for The Rams tonight against Walton Casuals.

Manager Jerry Scola admitted he would be sad to see him leave, having only said last week that he was convinced 17-goal Savage would fire the Rams back up the Ryman Division One South table.

He said: "They came in for him when he went to Wimbledon and they came back in with another offer and it's too much for him to turn down now.

"Of course I am disappointed to lose him, you never want to lose your top scorer but such is life with non-league football. Money speaks volumes.

"It is quite a long way for him to go to join Heybridge Swifts which I think is why he didn't want to go before, so I think upping their offer to him was the only way they could entice him."

Savage will be the second player Scola will have lost within the space of a few days, after Sutton United recalled Jason Goodchild after only one game - Saturday's 3-0 defeat away to table-toppers Dover Athletic.

The club have the midfielder on a joint registration with the Blue Square South strugglers, allowing United to call him back when needed.

Scola said: "There was always an outside chance he would get called back but I didn't think it would be so soon."

The manager also saw his other debutant, right-back Graham Tydeman, limp off in the second half at the weekend but played down his injury.

He said: "Graham had quite a tidy game at right-back, but he got a knock with about 20 minutes to go and it wasn't worth having him kicked to death when we were already 3-0 down so we took him off."