Chris Lakey Keith Webb has drafted in emergency defensive cover at The Walks - with a little help from former King's Lynn manager Gary Mills.

Chris Lakey

Keith Webb has drafted in emergency defensive cover at The Walks - with a little help from former King's Lynn manager Gary Mills.

Webb has signed 20-year-old defender Rikki Bains on a one-month loan deal from Tamworth, where Mills is now in charge, after finding himself down to one available central defender for the big home game against Halesowen tomorrow.

Bains trained with the Linnets last night and will go straight into the squad - and most likely the team - as Lynn attempt to regain top spot in the Southern League Premier Division which they lost last weekend.

"He is a good footballer and he knows the position well," said Webb, who may even add another new name to his ranks today.

"He played for Accrington Stanley last year and he comes highly recommend by Gary.

"I spoke to Gary about the player and he has agreed to let us have him for a month."

At the moment that's all it is, a month, although should Bains prove a success, Webb may pursue his interest.

"We'll see how he goes," he said.

Bains' decision to move to Norfolk ends a difficult week or two for Webb, who has clocked up the miles in an effort to sign a central defender. One failed to materialise last weekend, when Webb opted not to pursue a player who wanted the weekend to think over a move, while Banbury's Andy Baird rejected an approach.

"I've travelled most of the south east of England and plenty of places north of King's Lynn as well - all to no avail," said Webb. "It's been a lot of miles, but now I've got my man."

With Mark Warren undergoing surgery yesterday on a cartilage injury and Craig Fleming due to go under the knife in an effort to solve his ankle problem, Webb is set to pair Bains with Charlie Defty in the heart of the Linnets' defence tomorrow when the third-placed Linnets take on second-placed Halesowen at The Walks.

It's a baptism of fire, but Webb is confident the youngster can handle it.

"He's been playing at higher levels than we do and he knows the score," Webb said.

Bains was a trainee at Coventry City, where he had been since the age of 11, but was released by the Sky Blues at the end of the 2005-06 season, without having played a first team game.

He joined League Two side Accrington and played three games for Leek Town on loan before making the first of his three league appearances.

Bains joined Tamworth in January last year, turning down the opportunity to stay with Accrington until the end of the season, and despite relegation from the Conference signed on for another season at The Lamb. He has made 17 appearances for Mills' side this season - and was an unused substitute when Lynn visited Tamworth in the FA Cup earlier in the season.