Swindon Town are not searching for another goalkeeper in the free agent market to be a backup to Jack Bycroft for the rest of the season.

Both of Swindon’s goalkeepers during the first half of the season departed during the January transfer window, with a severe injury to Murphy Mahoney causing him to return to Queen’s Park Rangers and also Lewis Ward left to join Charlton Athletic.

Bycroft arrived from Southampton on a permanent deal to become the new number one, starting all three of the subsequent league games and helping Swindon to their first clean sheet in 106 days against Bradford City, but Town were unable to secure a replacement for Ward before the window closed.

Gavin Gunning had said that Swindon were hoping to sign a goalkeeper to try and “push Jack”, as Redman Evans was being named on the bench on the same day as playing for the under-18s, but they were unable to get a deal done before the deadline.

Conor Brann was recalled from his loan at Swindon Supermarine the day after the window closed and came straight into the squad and was named on the bench at Rodney Parade for the 2-1 defeat against Newport County the following day.

The 20-year-old was getting his first taste of senior football at the Webbswood Stadium and helping Supermarine to get away from the relegation places after joining when the club had made a winless start to the Southern League Premier South season.

Gunning said that it was unfortunate that they had been forced to interrupt Brann’s playing experience, but it was a decision that had to be made and there were no plans to search for a different free agent goalkeeper to fulfil the role on the substitutes bench.

He said: “I was the loans manager, and I was speaking to him [Brann] when he was playing and he was doing a fantastic job, and Fleets [Stuart Fleetwood] was doing a good job there with Swindon Supermarine.

“He [Fleetwood] was buzzing and really happy with his performances, but unfortunately, we have had to recall him.

“For us, he has done really well in training, and he will be the number two to Jack [Bycroft] who looks like a proper goalkeeper.

“There is not much more on that, it is highly likely that he will be the number two for the rest of the season.”