Blackpool keeper Lumley ready to turn on The Gas

The 22-year-old made a string of fine saves in the 0-0 draw but was powerless to stop Shrewsbury progressing to the quarter-finals with a 4-2 penalty shootout win.

His new manager Gary Bowyer was impressed with Lumley’s performance and must decide who to pick for tomorrow’s Bloomfield Road clash, after Christoffer Mafoumbi gave solid displays in the last two League One games against Rochdale and Oxford United.

Should Lumley start, he will come up against the club he spent the second half of last season with.

Lumley left a lasting impression at Bristol Rovers, making 19 appearances on loan, and he can’t wait to face The Gas.

“I want to beat them,” Lumley joked. “But in all seriousness, I had a great time there and it’s a great club, so I’m looking forward to the weekend.

“I’m at the stage of my career where I need to be getting games, wherever it may be.

“I thought I did really well last season and I’m hoping to do even better here.

“My first loan was at Accrington Stanley and then I went to Morecambe. I need as many games as I can get.

“Hopefully I can do that at Blackpool. Ian Holloway has sent me up here with his best wishes. He’s a good guy and I’ve learned loads from him.

“Obviously he took Blackpool up, so he’s well thought of here.”

Lumley is highly-rated at Loftus Road and has acted as back’up to regular number one Alex Smithies throughout this Championship campaign.

The 22-year-old arrived at Bloomfield Road on Monday, allowing former number one Ryan Allsop to cut his loan short and return to AFC Bournemouth.

Lumley, who will spend the rest of the campaign with Blackpool, was immediately handed a start at the New Meadow on Wednesday and didn’t do himself any harm with a confident performance.

“I enjoyed it,” he said. “Obviously I didn’t enjoy losing but in terms of the way we play it’s good.

“The lads are good, the manager is good and the goalkeeping coach (Dave Timmins) is good.

“The gaffer likes to play out from the back and that’s a strong point of my game, so that suits me.

“I showed what I can do out there and I made a few saves.

“I’d have liked to be the hero (in the shootout) but it just wasn’t meant to be.”