Portsmouth keeper answers League One side's SOS ahead of Birmingham and Exeter games

The Blues youngster has moved to the struggling League One side on an emergency seven-day loan.

An injury crisis among the keeping department at the Broadfield Stadium has lead to the temporary switch.

Steward has been signed ahead of the Reds’ trip to league champions Birmingham City on Good Friday and Monday’s home game against Exeter City.

The 20-year-old could be the eighth keeper to be named in Crawley’s starting XI this season and the third to play for manager Scott Lindsey following his return to the club only last month.

Regular stopper Jojo Wollacott picked up an injury ahead of the Reds’ game against Leyton Orient last week. Among the others to have lined up in goal for the 22nd-placed team are: Luke Hutchinson, Eddie Beach, Connal Trueman, Mathew Cox, Thimothée Lo-Tutala and Jasper Sheik.

Bolton loanee Hutchinson played in the 3-1 defeat to the O’s last Saturday but has since returned to the Trotters after his seven-day loan ended.

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Lindsey told Sussex World earlier this week: ‘I think January, I wasn't here but I know we signed the goalkeeper from Brentford (Cox), who then got quite a bad injury early February so the window had shut.

‘And then we're kind of left with Jojo, Sandy (Ryan Sandford), who is just about coming back and not 100% fit yet, and obviously Jaspers, who a young goalkeeper who's not had any experience at all.

‘So the goalkeeping department, through probably nobody's fault really, has been in a bad situation, especially when Jojo goes away on international duty.

‘It's just been one of them situations that I think from the injury from the goalkeeper we had from Brentford has probably not helped.

‘I thought that maybe that could be the one that could play when Jojo wasn't available. Obviously he's got bad injuries so now we find ourselves in a position where if Jojo's hurt, which he is at the moment, we have to go and get another emergency loan to fill the space.

‘It’s obviously is not ideal because you're chopping and changing a lot. But listen, it is what it is. We're not going to moan about it. We've just got to try and find the best solution around it.’

Toby Steward’s current Pompey situation

Pompey Academy graduate Steward is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Blues but remains highly-thought-of at Fratton Park.

He has also been in the bench for John Mousinho’s side on numerous occasions - including this season following injuries to current No1 Nicolas Schmid and the now departed Will Norris.

The youngster has spent two spells out on loan already this term at non-league sides Tonbridge Angels and Wealdstone.

He’s currently fourth in the queue at Pompey behind Schmid, Jordan Archer and January arrival Ben Killip.

Steward signed a new two-year deal with the Blues last summer, with the club having the option of an additional 12 months.

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