Town are again reported to have watched Northern Irish U21 international midfielder Philip Lowry in action for his club Institute. A Blues representative was at a match against Bangor on Saturday, while Coventry City and Sheffield United scouts were at Tuesday's game with Glentoran.

Town were previously linked with the highly-rated 19-year-old central midfielder in November when they were said to have been watching him on a regular basis. Last summer, Lowry had trial spells at Norwich and Leicester, while QPR and Northern Irish sides Coleraine and Derry City have also been linked.

Institute manager John Gregg says the Blues wouldn't have seen too much of Lowry at the weekend: "Unfortunately on Saturday, when another scout working for an English club was watching him, he took a knock early on and had to come off.”

Lowry, who joined Institute from hometown club Limavady at the start of the 2007/08 season, says he is unflustered by the attention he is receiving: "At the end of the day it doesn't really concern me who comes and looks at me.

"Obviously everyone wants to play across the water and I'm no different, but all I can do is keep working hard at both training and playing for Institute and you never know what might happen."

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