Curle steps up recruitment

Carlisle boss Keith Curle has revealed he is looking at a left-sided player in a bid to bolster his relegation-threatened squad.

The Cumbrians are just two points above the relegation zone in League Two following three successive defeats. Ahead of the club's next outing - a trip to promotion-chasing Southend on Saturday - Curle is actively seeking new recruits. He told his club's official website: "We're looking at a wide player for the left-hand side to give us more natural balance and width. "I'll be going to look at a game (on Tuesday) to see the lad play and to see if he is what we need. "We're also still looking for a midfield player to join us on loan. "That will be governed largely on the recovery rate of Gary Dicker and how quickly we can get him up to match speed. "We're in the process of trying to arrange some bounce games to help him with that." Curle has also backed new goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel after the 22-year-old loanee's debut ended in defeat. Curle added: "He's a young lad who has good stature and a good future. Saturday will have been a huge learning curve for him but he's one who needs to find a personality and profile within the game he can call his own. "We were in conversation with a keeper who had vast league experience at the back end of last week. "He's just been paid up by a football club and, at 32 or 33, he has a good standing in the game. "We had him up here training for two or three days but he made a decision not to join us on Thursday."