BURNLEY could turn to Luton Town hot-shot Steve Howard to sharpen up their strike force.

Clarets boss Steve Cotterill has admitted making tentative enquiries about the 28-year old, who has topped the Hatters scoring charts for the past three seasons and averages a goal every two games at Kenilworth Road.

Howard, Luton's top scorer for the past three seasons, is out of contract at the end of this season.

And with recent signing Ade Akinbiyi already on board, Cotterill is clearly drawing up his summer shopping plans to beat the rush.

He said: "Steve Howard is still on contract at Luton and if anything was going to happen their manager, Mike Newell, would be the first to know.

"People are obviously talking to me - ie: agents of players who are out of contract - so I won't say I haven't had a conversation with his agent.

"But that doesn't mean anything is happening right now and I certainly won't be doing anything disrespectful to Luton Town because Mike will be the first port of call."

Howard, a £50,000 buy from Northampton in March 2001, exploded onto the scene with 24 goals in his first season with Luton to top the Third Division scoring charts.

The former Hartlepool striker was named Town fans' player of the season that summer and the players' player of the year 12-months later after firing 22 more goals.

Last season Howard scored 16 times - a figure he has already surpassed in the current campaign with 18, including five in the first five games - as Luton look firm favourites to secure promotion from League One.

Meanwhile, Cotterill believes his side did enough to earn their first league win in five attempts at home to Leicester City last night.

John Oster hit the post and Graham Branch missed several chances to secure victory against the Foxes, who now face Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup quarter finals this weekend.

The Burnley manager, who was down to his last 11 senior outfield players after Tony Grant missed out through injury, said: "I am amazed we din't win because we probably had enough chances to win two or three games.

"We just didn't get the rub of the green but the pleasing thing for me was that we were positive in everything we did and we tried to win the game.

"Unfortunately, we didn't but we have just had a tough run of games and, to be fair, the opposition have been flying.

"Last night we went back to basics, kept a clean sheet again and did enough to earn all three points."