Hartlepool United remain hopeful over Ben Killip injury as emergency loan deal with ex-Leeds United goalkeeper is to expire

Fleetwood Town stopper Cairns made the move to Hartlepool on a temporary basis late in the week ahead of Hartlepool’s FA Cup second round tie with Harrogate Town after No.1 Killip picked up an injury and was unable to compete.

Killip, it’s understood, had been struggling with the injury earlier in the week before a fitness test advised he would not be able to feature against Harrogate.

Interim manager Keith Curle would normally have turned to backup goalkeeper, and goalkeeping coach, Kyle Letheren but the former Plymouth Argyle and Morecambe stopper was also unavailable with a back problem. And with teenage goalkeeper Patrick Boyes unavailable, having recently agreed a fresh loan move to Northern Premier League East side Stockton Town, it meant Hartlepool were forced to seek an emergency loan alternative.

That option came in the form of ex-Leeds United youngster Cairns who went straight into the starting line-up in the 3-1 win over Harrogate.

Cairns had not featured in a competitive game since the end of last season in a 4-2 defeat at Bolton Wanderers with the 29-year-old having made nearly 250 appearances for Fleetwood since joining the club in 2016.

Cairns was largely untroubled but was called into action by Josh Falkingham in the second half before Josh Coley beat him to grab a consolation for Harrogate.

The hope for Hartlepool, however, is that Killip will be available to return for the visit of Dave Challinor and Stockport County, but Curle has hinted Cairns’ deal could be extended beyond its Thursday expiration if necessary.

“If needs be [we’ll look at the option with Alex],” Curle told The Mail.

“But it’s not only Ben Killip injured. We’ve got Kyle Letheren missing. We didn’t have a sub goalkeeper on the bench. The obvious choice was to turn straight to Kyle but he’s been complaining of a bad back with a trapped nerve in his back.

Curle continued: “Ben was advised that he wasn’t going to be available for Saturday so we were scrambling from the beginning of the week.

“I spoke to Alex, and to a few other people, and did my due diligence on him. We spoke with a few people that know him, and a few people who have played in front of him, so it’s not just a case of pulling a goalkeeper out of the hat, we did our homework on him and what he can bring.

“Credit to Kyle Letheren and his contacts, and the recruitment department, that gave me the opportunity to select an emergency replacement of the quality of Cairnsy.

"He came in, looked assured and did the simple things very well. He’ll be disappointed that he didn’t keep a clean sheet but his overall demeanour in and around the group was good.

“He mixed in very well. He communicated very well and he’s got a good personality. He said to me ‘thanks very much’ for making me feel part of it, and that’s in two days. But a good changing room is a welcoming changing room.”