ON-LOAN goalkeeper Alex Cisak has no intention of surrendering his place between the York City sticks to the long-serving Michael Ingham.

Cisak, 25, made his Minstermen debut during last weekend’s 1-1 home draw against Mansfield following his arrival from Premier League Burnley with Ingham nursing a thigh problem.

But ex-Northern Ireland international Ingham returned to training this week, leaving manager Russ Wilcox to choose between the pair for this afternoon’s Sky Bet League Two clash at Cheltenham.

Summer signing Jason Mooney, preferred to Ingham at the start of the season, is another option but the fight for selection is expected to be contested by the latter and former Australian under-20, net-minder Cisak.

Even if the Turf Moor reserve gets the nod for today’s match, he will sit out the FA Cup first round home meeting with AFC Wimbledon next weekend but, if he is selected at Whaddon Road, Cisak wants to hand over the gloves having firmly staked his claim for an instant recall.

The Krakow-born keeper said: “The place is there to be fought for and we both want to play. I’ve come on loan to play and I don’t want to be sitting on the bench.”

But Cisak has also welcomed Burnley boss Sean Dyche’s refusal to grant permission for him to play against the Wombles, leaving him free to possibly turn out for his parent club later in the tournament.

“Burnley have insisted on that so, if something happens, I can be involved in the competition for them and I’m happy with that,” he declared. “Hopefully, I can play well here and be in the gaffer’s mind back at Burnley too.”

But Cisak, who has previously enjoyed loan spells of differing timescales at Oxford, Tamworth and Portsmouth, is not ruling out an extension to the initial one-month stay agreed between City and the Clarets.

“I will see what happens,” he reasoned. “I take everything one game at a time and don’t like looking too far ahead because you never know what might happen.

“I just want to concentrate on Cheltenham away for now and getting the three points we definitely need.”

Cisak has found himself behind Tom Heaton and summer signing Matt Gilks at Burnley this season despite agreeing a new two-year deal himself in September.

He, therefore, had little issue with swapping life in the Premier League for a struggle in the Football League’s lower reaches, explaining: “I’ve been playing in reserve games mainly and I would rather be involved with the first team obviously.

“I was involved in every game last season but I don’t go to the longer away games now and train on Saturday mornings instead, while reporting at Turf Moor for home games. That’s a bit disappointing but that’s football.

“I’ve just got to work hard and do well during this loan period to push myself on. The move happened quite quickly.

“I got a phone call from my goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer and he asked me if I was interested in coming here for some games and I jumped at the chance. I was looking to get some games but, if something happens to Tom or Matt, I would want to go back and I just needed to find the right team.

“I’m still young for a keeper and, like anybody, I want to be playing, not just training, so the move is good for me and for York as well.”

Cisak made two appearances last season for Burnley – one as a Championship substitute and the other in the Capital One Cup – having joined on a free transfer from Oldham.

Despite his current status as the club’s third choice in goal, the ex-Leicester City FA Academy Premier League winner also still harbours hopes of plying his trade for the Lancashire outfit at the domestic game’s highest level.

He said: “The club wants to stay up and I have my own ambitions to be the number one there. The gaffer (Dyche) has told me it’s a good move for me and he will keep in touch.

“Billy Mercer also came to watch me last weekend, so they want to keep a close eye on me.”

Cisak is no stranger, meanwhile, to life in League Two, having made 25 appearances for Accrington Stanley in 2010/11.

He was not, therefore, surprised or cowed by Mansfield’s aerial onslaught of his penalty box last weekend.

“I’ve played in League Two before, so I know it’s quite direct,” Cisak added. “Mansfield like long throws and put everything into your box.

“They are quite a tough team to defend against but I thought we coped quite well and just conceded a sloppy goal, which was disappointing because I thought we were unlucky not to win.”