Town boss Paul Jewell confirmed that the Blues’ attempt to sign two Portsmouth players — Joel Ward and Stephen Henderson — broke down after the duo failed to agree personal terms, as reported by TWTD earlier, the clubs having agreed a joint fee. The pair were part of a triple bid Town had been working on for almost a fortnight along with central defender Jason Pearce.

Jewell, who says nothing else is currently ongoing as the 11pm deadline approaches, admitted that the final day of the transfer window hadn’t gone to plan: “It’s been a bit of a nightmare really. I thought we had at least two deals done and they’ve all fallen through at about five o’clock, which is a right nightmare. We’ve spent a lot of time and a lot of energy on it but it’s not to be.”

Town can still sign the Pompey pair - who Jewell didn't name - on the basis of loans leading to permanent deals in a week’s time and the Blues boss isn’t ruling out further overtures to the Hampshire club: “You never say never. We would have liked the players but at the moment it’s fallen through. I’m not going to point the finger at anyone, they’ve the right to say no.

“We’ve spent a lot of time and a lot of energy and it hasn’t been got over the line, so we move on or things might be revisited.”

Town and other Championship sides had offers for Pearce turned down by Pompey earlier today.

Jewell is no fan of the transfer window, especially so when it ends on a day when there’s a fixture: “It’s so nonsensical, the transfer window. I said to Marcus this afternoon when we were talking about things breaking down, we want to move the club a certain way and I think throwing money after things you’re not 100% sure about can be dangerous.

“We might have to take a bit of flak for it and a little bit of stick but we want to try and do the right thing for the long-term of the club.

“That doesn’t mean we’re paying people peanuts but at times we’ve all been guilty of paying over the odds for too many players, and I think football is counting the cost of that.”

Town also missed out on Falkirk defender Murray Wallace, who has joined Huddersfield, which Jewell says was partly due to the Blues trying to renegotiate the £300,000 up-front fee: “We watched him on Sunday and we’d agreed a fee and I think he might be a good player, one for the future, but there’s a little bit more to that than meets the eye. We’re disappointed to be missing out on that in a way, but these things happen.

“We had a bit of a rethink on the deal, we tried to give them less money up front and more on appearances, but they didn’t want to do that, which you can understand. I think the lad was impressed with us, but there you go.”

The Town manager confirmed that he had also looked at shorter term signings to tide the Blues over to the summer window, including Stoke’s Danny Higginbotham: “I spoke to Danny yesterday but he doesn’t want to come on loan, he wants to move permanently. Things might change when the window closes and people haven’t got a club, I don’t know.

“Because you’re up against time and everything it’s ridiculous, especially when you’re trying to prepare for the game today.”

Higginbotham has subsequently joined Nottingham Forest on loan with earlier reports suggesting he didn't want to move too far away from his family home in the north.

Elsewhere, former Blues loanee Keith Andrews has joined West Brom on a free transfer from Blackburn.

Photo: Action Images

Sindre94 added 22:44 - Jan 31 damn... GET SOMEONE!!!! PLEASE
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AlanMahon2011 added 22:46 - Jan 31 Clegg Out
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itfc1981 added 22:47 - Jan 31 Clegg, ever thought of working for Barings Bank?
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cartman1972 added 22:47 - Jan 31 Fair enough.....those Portsmouth players will be here soon when they have no club . Must be infuriating when you're trying to negotiate when there's a match to play the same day. Anyway we play like we did tonight and there's nothing to worry about.
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reuser added 22:47 - Jan 31 any pay is better than no pay.
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bluemonday added 22:49 - Jan 31 too much information........ I'm going to bed
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buryblue77 added 22:50 - Jan 31 We constantly seem to struggle with signing players on not being able to agree personal terms, we just don't seem to want to pay the going rate for the types of players we want. Anyway, enough negativety, great result tonight, the team we have proved what they can do and we need more performances like tonights!
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itfc1981 added 22:50 - Jan 31 What the Hell does the club think its doing re the Falkirk player, no wonder he went elsewhere. Clegg Out!
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BROTHERBLUE1974 added 22:50 - Jan 31 So No back up plan then. Why isn't it easy to sign anybody for this club. Another waste of 2 weeks negotiating.
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bluearmy4life added 22:50 - Jan 31 Personal terms are the worst way of not getting the players in we desperatly need. We have to hope it doesn't cost us come May.
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glenwarner1977 added 22:52 - Jan 31 two weeks chasing them come on Jewell cut the bull the transfer window has been open for a month not just the last 24hrs every other team has managed to bolster there team in future keep your mouth shut until the targets have been signed up dont give false promises.
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BrettenhamBlue added 22:53 - Jan 31 Lets just hope we can get a couple of decent loan signings. Think PJ has done a good job of identifying players, but somewhere along the line it all went pear-shaped. Feeling a bit more positive tonight anyway. A good draw in the next match and we can start to think a little less about relegation.
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Keaneish added 22:53 - Jan 31 So why don't we go back in with improved personal terms? If we've spent 2 weeks camped in a dump like Portsmouth it's because we're serious about sitting a deal so why back down at the first hurdle...unless they've said, 'get bent, never in a million light years'. If this is the case then unlucky boys, no cash, points deduction and division 1 for you both it is! Get McManas...

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Stretchstar added 22:53 - Jan 31 Bloody Clegg again, gone from elation from the result straight back to frustration again, aaaaaaarrgghh!!!!!!
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rosseden added 22:53 - Jan 31 higginbotham ends up on loan at Forest anyway, suspect thats due to the fact he doesnt have to move...... based on tonights performance if we can get a bit of a run together we'll stay up, then serious restructuring required closed season! ten more cresswells please......
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KentBlue92 added 22:53 - Jan 31 Clegg is a joke.
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WoodfordTim added 22:58 - Jan 31 Reading between the lines, it appears to me that in the end the Pompey players wanted too much dosh including, maybe, a nice fat signing on fee. What a nightmare trying to sign anyone decent. Surely though they were not just chasing the money. Maybe I am being unfair, sour grapes, etc.
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leroy2488 added 23:00 - Jan 31 Andrews West Brom on a free
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forevertown added 23:00 - Jan 31 How many more times clegg u incompetant tool! Why try change the deal thats been agreed??! Even roy keane said that after he spoke to a player they wanted to sign then after that muppet gets involved they change there mind. get someone who knows how to run a football club in charge or we will never sign the players w are after. CLEGG OUT!!!!
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MunichBlue added 23:01 - Jan 31 What about Gyepes? http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11704/7468976/Bluebirds-part-ways-with-G Might be worth it short term? End of season with additional year possible depending on performances?
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kiwiblue added 23:03 - Jan 31 good article and it makes sense. players who are on inflated deals get inflated egos and we do not need any more of those style of players. really pleased to see tommy smith ,hyam and drury setting the world alight at town and keeping out higher paid and well experienced players. new signings who do not want to come here are not wanted. they can just sit waiting for the unpaid contract wages as far as i am concerned.

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glenwarner1977 added 23:03 - Jan 31 big ben has just finished chiming and guess what Clegg you really are a useless pr.ck!!!!!
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farren01 added 23:03 - Jan 31 they didnt come to you because they are LOYAL to us! just proves even if they arent getting paid, they love our club and are willing to stay even if they arent getting paid! you dont see loyalty like that any more. blue army
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rosseden added 23:04 - Jan 31 andrews not on a free, for a nominal undisclosed fee, and only a contract until the end of the season as cover for Brunt & Gera......
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smart4 added 23:06 - Jan 31 So its official - ITFC screwed up the Murray Wallace deal by going back on the deal when there were others already in the frame. Hmmm. Oh, and Danny Higginbotham doesn't want to go out on loan he wants a permanent deal...so he's gone out on loan...to Notts Forest!!! Saw Phil Brown on Sky earlier today saying how much easier transfers are nowadays compared with ten years ago, but still PJ thinks transfers are much more complicated than they used to be! I'm totally bemused. Just glad the squad is capable of thrashing West Ham - hope they keep the faith and play us up the table.

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