Carlisle United boss Chris Beech saw his side beaten 4-0 by Rovers Under-23s in midweek and admits he tried to use that as an opportunity to see if Tony Mowbray would allow Tyrhys Dolan out on loan.

Sam Burns scored a hat-trick, while Luke Brennan was also on target, for Billy Barr’s side as he came up against his former club.

Dolan wasn’t involved in that game having been used in the final first-team friendly at Leicester City two days previous as his involvement around the senior side continues.

He was signed after his release from Preston North End in the summer, initially for the Under-23s, but such has been his progress that he found himself used from the bench in the Carabao Cup tie against Doncaster and he could be in line for his league debut at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The teenager had interest from Carlisle in the summer, with Rovers winning the race for his signature, just as they did with Tom White 12 months earlier.

Beech didn’t reveal the identity of the player, but all indications point towards the 18-year-old being the subject of his conversations with Mowbray who watched on at Brockhall as both Scott Wharton and Jacob Davenport got more minutes under his belt.

“I had a good half hour with Tony Mowbray – they signed a player I was trying to sign myself in the summer,” Beech told the News & Star.

“They managed to get him for their Under-23s, and he’s been training with Tony already.

“We were very close to getting him but Blackburn’s obviously a bigger, better opportunity for him. I was seeing if he was available in that chat.”