YORK City manager Martin Foyle has missed out in a brave bid to bring Salisbury hot-shot Matt Tubbs to Bootham Crescent.

Foyle has been tracking Tubbs for several months but Crawley Town are now expected to acquire his services.

Salisbury have been demoted two divisions after ending last season in administration but the 25-year-old striker is still contracted to the Wiltshire club for the next two years.

Ambitious Crawley, though, are prepared to splash out a transfer fee for his services and offer a lucrative wage package, extinguishing the mouth-watering prospect of Tubbs lining up alongside joint 2009/10 Blue Square Bet Premier top marksman Richard Brodie for City next season.

Confirming his Tubbs inquiries, Foyle said: “I’ve been chasing some very good players but some have proven out of our reach.

“Matt Tubbs is somebody I was interested in even before anybody knew what was going to happen to Salisbury but it looks like he’s on his way to Crawley now for £35,000 and fantastic wages.”

As first revealed in The Press earlier this week, however, Blackburn Rovers winger Andy Haworth will join City on loan next season subject to a successful pre-season trial.

Haworth, 21, is under contract with the Premier League club until next summer having spent temporary spells at Gateshead and Rochdale last season.

The length of any loan stay has not yet been determined with Foyle adding: “He has pace, good energy and can run with the ball.

“He did well at Rochdale when he was added to their squad and did a lot of good things in bit parts. I want to see him and get to know the lad and then take it from there.

“We had such a good team spirit last season and it’s important we don’t unsettle that.

“We need to know he is the right type and then we could take him on a season-long loan, six months or three months. We’ll have to see.”

Foyle is also hopeful that Haworth and another winger he is targeting can improve City’s flank play after the efforts of released trio Adam Smith, Courtney Pitt and Craig Nelthorpe last season.

He said: “Both Andy Haworth and the other winger I am speaking to can play on both sides and up front.

“We need that because we will be going with a smaller squad.

“We are looking for people who can run with the ball a bit more and retain possession better in the final third of the pitch than we had last season.

“Adam Smith was effective at home but we didn’t really see him in away matches and Courtney Pitt was similar.

“But, then, a lot of players are a bit inconsistent at this level and that’s why you have to chop and change.”

• Cambridge United have signed former Stevenage midfielder Adam Miller after his release from Gillingham.

Released Eastbourne striker Liam Enver-Marum, meanwhile, has joined Crawley, along with ex-Stevenage defender Darragh Ryan.

Elsewhere, Joe Widdowson has left Grimsby for League One new boys Rochdale and fellow full-back Scott Bartlett has moved to Forest Green Rovers following his departure from Bath City.