PROVEN striker Luke Beckett has joined Town on loan from Sheffield United.

And delighted manager Peter Jackson will throw him straight into the fray in tomorrow's big League I derby at Barnsley, the club where the 28-year-old began his career.

Beckett, who netted for Stockport County when Town won 3-2 at Edgeley Park on the opening day of the season, has scored 106 goals in 251 matches.

After coming through the youth ranks at Oakwell, he made his name at Chester between 1998-2000.

Chesterfield paid £75,000 for his services in the summer of 2000, before Stockport splashed out £100,000 in December, 2001.

He joined Sheffield United for £50,000 two months ago, but has been unable to force his way into ex-Town boss Neil Warnock's Coca-Cola Championship side.

Now he has the chance to impress during a month with Town, and Jackson, who beat off competition from Bradford, Rotherham, Doncaster, Chesterfield and Chester to tie up the deal late last night, is delighted by his acquisition.

"Luke is an experienced player with an excellent record," he said.

"We've been creating plenty of chances but not putting them away, so having a player of his quality will do us a power of good.

"A host of clubs wanted to bring him in on loan after Neil Warnock confirmed his availability, so I'm absolutely delighted he's here."

Jackson, whose side are 13th, added: "If we can string together some wins, starting at Barnsley tomorrow, we can still force our way back into the play-off picture."

Beckett hasn't played first-team football since the Blades' 3-3 home draw with Wolves on November 27.

But he turned out for the Reserves against Bradford on Tuesday, when Jackson was in the crowd, and is set to start alongside Town's 17-goal top scorer Pawel Abbott at Oakwell, where kick-off is 3.00 and fans can pay at the gate.

Abbott is fully recovered from the illness which stopped him playing in last Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Torquay while Andy Booth is fit after the ankle injury which has kept him out of eight games, and could be on the bench.

But Town have a worry over top defender Nathan Clarke.

The 21-year-old, whose 17-year-old brother Tom has signed a two-and-a-half year professional contract (see page 46) faces a fitness test on a groin problem.