Tigers manager Bruce has got his eye on Posh star Boyd

The attack-minded midfielder almost left London Road in the January transfer window only for a £250,000 switch to Nottingham Forest to collapse because of a failed eye test.

Boyd’s contract runs out in the summer and Posh have admitted he may leave before then if a suitable offer comes in.

Bruce is keen to strengthen his attacking options after another frustrating 90 minutes in front of goal at Brighton & Hove Albion when City spurned a host of chances in losing 1-0.

Asked about his ongoing interest in Boyd, the Tigers manager said: “We made an enquiry. That is all we did.

“He is someone who is out of contract in the summer and we enquired about him. We will see what the next 24-48 hours bring.”

Football League clubs can loan players for 93 days now that the January window is closed and the timing of any move will have to be thought through carefully with the Championship play-off final due to take place on Monday, May 27.

City’s defeat at Brighton means they sit fourth in the table. The Yorkshire club do, though, have a game in hand on two of their fellow top-six sides.

The first of those comes tomorrow when Derby County become the first of three sides to travel to the KC Stadium inside eight days, the others being Charlton Athletic on Saturday and Blackburn Rovers on February 19.

Bruce added: “Three home games gives us a great chance to dust ourselves down and go again. But, as you see in the Championship every weekend, you can’t take anything for granted.

“You can’t make the mistakes which can cost you games. But I saw enough in the second half (at Brighton) to see we are up for the challenge. We have 16 or 17 games to go.

Brighton’s winner in the Saturday tea-time kick-off at the Amex Stadium came via Vicente, whose free-kick seven minutes from time pierced the defensive wall to leave goalkeeper David Stockdale with no chance in goal.

Bruce said: “There was a foul in the wall for the goal. But that sums up our frustration really. The first half was a non-entity. In fact, I was bored with the whole thing.

“But second half, it was a fantastic contest between two teams who are good at this level. Unfortunately, we came off second best and I thought that was cruel because we didn’t deserve to.”

A familiar failing of being unable to capitalise on chances when on top was again evident.

Bruce, who missed out on DJ Campbell on the final day of the transfer window after the QPR striker opted to join Blackburn, added: “We created chances and when you do that against a team like Brighton, you have to take them.

“We have to remember we have been without Sone Aluko for two months and he has been our best player. We have also been without Matty Fryatt. He consistently gets 15-20 goals every season so those are two big players missing.

“What I will say is we were let down by DJ Campbell. No matter what anyone else says. We thought he was our player. That has left us in the lurch.”

Alex Bruce will miss tomorrow’s game after limping out of the Brighton defeat with a dead leg.