Striker Dean Bowditch has joined Northampton Town on a month's loan. The frontman has failed to break into the Blues first team this season having undergone groin surgery in the summer.

Northampton manager Stuart Gray said: "Dean is a forward that looks to get in behind defences with his pace and he will give us that little bit of extra quality in the final third.

"He is very highly regarded by Jim Magilton at Ipswich and we are very grateful to Ipswich for letting him come out on loan to us.

"His ball retention is very good and he will excite the crowd if we can provide the sort of service to him that we provided to the forwards on Tuesday night.

"He could have just stayed on the bench at Ipswich, but full credit to him he wants to get some first team football and we are delighted to give him that opportunity."

Bowditch, whose Town deal is up at the end of the season, scored from the penalty spot in Monday's 5-0 reserves thrashing of Peterborough United. The 21-year-old has previously had loan spells at Burnley, Wycombe and Brighton.

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