Swindon Town are looking to add another goalkeeper to their squad before the end of the January transfer window on Thursday.

Lewis Ward had been the understudy to Murphy Mahoney during the first half of the season but then came in after Mahoney was out injured and started four games over the festive period, including making a crucial stoppage-time penalty save to ensure Swindon kept hold of all three points against Forest Green Rovers.

During this window, Town have signed Southampton goalkeeper Jack Bycroft, who has started the subsequent two matches, keeping a clean sheet on his home debut, meaning that Ward was dropped back to the substitutes bench.

The 26-year-old subsequently departed the club to join Charlton Athletic in League One to become their third-choice goalkeeper, leaving Town with academy goalkeeper Redman Evans as the backup.

Evans was on the bench during the Bradford City game last Saturday, having captained and played all 90 minutes for the under-18s during their 3-0 win over Cheltenham Town that same morning.

Conor Brann is the only other goalkeeper in the first-team squad, but he is spending the remainder of the season on loan at Swindon Supermarine, where under Stuart Fleetwood, he has helped them to escape from the relegation picture.

Gavin Gunning said that Town would be looking to bring in a more experienced goalkeeper to help Bycroft with his development and provide a number two option.

He said: “Redman is a fantastic young goalie, but the honest truth is that we probably might look to get one [a goalkeeper] in as a second choice to back up Jack and obviously push Jack along.

“He is a young goalie and sometimes when you are a young goalie, and you are playing every week you can get slack and things like that.

“We might need one that will push Jack, but he [Bycroft] is a proper ‘keeper this kid.”

Swindon have until 11 pm on February 1 to bring in new players, and so far, have added six new faces in Bycroft, Dawson Devoy, Paul Glatzel, Pharrell Johnson, Conor McCarthy, and Zack Elbouzedi.

Gunning said that he was confident that the club would make at least two additions this week, with Elbouzedi having already joined on loan from AIK, however, deals have been complicated by the club’s transfer fee restrictions, preventing them from paying a transfer or loan fee for new signings.