CRAIG Easton insists there is still life left in an ailing Swindon Town and hopes the last few days could prove a crucial turning point for the club's future.

Andrew Fitton is expected to end years of financial uncertainty at the County Ground by completing a protracted takeover soon - negotiations between the two parties continued over the weekend - with Easton claiming he will be buying a "really great club".

Speaking after Saturday's heart-breaking last-minute 2-1 defeat at Southend, the midfielder defiantly refused to let one of the most miserable weeks in Town's history break his optimism for the future.

Thursday's breakdown in takeover talks had put their very future in jeopardy but, with discussions now back on and progressing well, Easton preferred to focus on the positive things going for the club.

He said: "Okay, maybe people have been saying the club is nearly dead but we are still fighting for each other and that is the way it will always be.

"There are some very good young players coming through at this club. Chris Allen was brilliant on his full debut at Southend and Ben Tozer has previously shown how good he is.

"Ady Williams and Dave Byrne have been manning a difficult situation and they have been brilliant. We have enjoyed the training and I think you saw today they had us organised to cope with a good team.

"It is a hard time for the club but with guys coming in and doing that and the young lads coming through it shows there is still hope there. Hopefully this proves a turning point in all respects."

Simon Cox looked as though he had earned Town a valiant point at a wet Roots Hall but despite Mark Gower's 93rd-minute stunner, the under-fire players emerged with great credit.

While a takeover deal is still to be completed, encouraging noises are being heard from both parties that it could be sealed soon, but Easton insists the off-the-field farce has nothing to do with the players.

He said: "We are getting kicked in the balls a lot.

"We have taken a few body blows, like the 3-0 at Carlisle, and a few decisions have gone against us but luck evens itself out and we will get our fair share soon, hopefully.

"If we give the same attitude and performance as we did against Southend we will win more games than we lose and I really believe that. We really dug in and fought for each other.

"This is a great club. I have come here and am really enjoying myself. We have never used the financial problems as an excuse and we never will.

"It is about football matches and when you go on the park you forget all that and it is brilliant because even if there is stuff going on you just forget it and play football. We are lucky to be able to do that."

The battling display was much needed after Tuesday's turgid capitulation at Carlisle but Easton admits Gower's late dagger in the hearts' makes it just as hard to bear.

He said: "We are gutted. I think we deserved to take something from it.

"We got beat at Carlisle and we deserved that because we did not compete. This was 100 times better.

"If we give this endeavour and attitude and performance we will start winning games again, don't worry about that.

"It was probably the best we passed it for a long time, even though maybe we stopped doing it a bit in the second half.

"It was a horrible trip home seeing us lose at Carlisle and now we have to have a horrible journey home again.

"Fair play to the fans they deserved to see us get something but I tell you what we will be fighting again next Saturday."