Darlington

Kennedy completes Quakers switch
Darlington boss Dave Penney has completed the permanent signing of midfielder Jason Kennedy from Middlesbrough on a two-year deal. The 21-year-old enjoyed a successful loan-spell with the Quakers last season, making 15 appearances and scoring three goals. Kennedy also spent time with Scottish Division One side Livingston earlier in the campaign. He leaves Boro having made seven first-team appearances. Having graduated through the Middlesbrough youth system, Kennedy was part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2004.

Penney bemoans costly decisions
Darlington manager Dave Penney was furious with the referee after the Quakers lost to a last-minute goal in their 2-1 defeat at home to Gillingham. Rob Purdie looked to have salvaged a point with a late penalty after Simeon Jackson's opener, but Mark McCammon scored a last-minute winner. Penney said: "I think there were a lot of controversial decisions during the game. "They incensed ourselves and our supporters and rightly so." "Obviously I can't say a great deal about referees because of the Respect campaign and I don't want to get fined." Darlington are currently 14th in League Two and face a trip to 20th-placed Macclesfield on Saturday. But before that the Quakers face a tough trip to Watford in round two of the Carling Cup on Tuesday.

Quakers sign Posh's Hatch on loan
League Two side Darlington have signed Peterborough striker Liam Hatch on a three-month loan deal. The 26-year-old has scored just two goals in 13 appearances for Posh since joining them from Barnet in January. Quakers boss Dave Penney has also extended the loan of Irish forward Billy Clarke from Ipswich Town into a "long-term loan". The 20-year-old has started all five games this season, scoring the winner in the 2-1 League Cup win at Walsall. Penney said: "At 6ft 3in Liam will give us another option up front. He had an impressive spell at Barnet scoring over 50 goals for the club and I hope he can recreate that form at Darlington. "In his brief time so far with Darlington, Billy has shown the potential to play a prominent part in our frontline during this League Two campaign so we have extended his loan spell to reflect that. "It is still early going in the season, but Billy has been involved in each game and I believe his goal at Walsall heralds the potential for more to come."

I have complete control - Penney
Darlington manager Dave Penney has reiterated that he is in charge of managerial affairs at the club despite rumours to the contrary in local media. Penney dedicated Saturday's programme notes to the rumours and confirmed to BBC Tees that the responsibility for transfer dealings lay with him alone. "There's all sorts of shenanigans in the press," he said. "The be-all and end-all is that I make the final decisions about who comes to the football club." On the field, Penney had less to get agitated about after his side clinched a 3-0 victory against Accrington Stanley at the Arena on Saturday. Irish striker Billy Clarke notched two of the goals and, not for the first time this season, the Quakers boss was full of praise for the 20-year-old's display. "It showed the quality that young Billy's got in scoring situations," he said. "I think he's got seven goals now - he's relishing it and he's full of confidence. "We've got him for another three and a half months and hopefully he'll get a few more goals between now and then."

Penney delighted by Ryan return
Darlington manager Dave Penney has expressed his delight at the return of defender Tim Ryan to the side following Saturday's 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury. Ryan, 33, was drafted in to cope with Shrewsbury's physical threat and Penney hopes to see the full-back back to his best in a Darlington shirt. "They're a big side and he's just slowly getting back to the Tim Ryan of old," he told BBC Tees. "I'm delighted for him and I know what he's all about as a player." Ryan was also part of manager Dave Penney's side that gained promotion to League One with Doncaster Rovers. Meanwhile Penney was also handed a boost ahead of Tuesday's visit of Huddersfield Town in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with the availability of Lichtenstein winger Franz Burgmeier. The 26-year-old was due to fly out to Lichtenstein to train with the squad prior to flying back for their World Cup qualifier with Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. But after negotiation with the International Federation, Burgmeier will line up for Darlington before travelling down to Cardiff and Penney is hopeful that relations between club and country will remain close in the future. "Franz is available and we had a chat with the Federation of Lichtenstein and come to some compromise," he said. "They've done us a favour by letting him play the game and I suppose there will be some give and take with the Federation in the time that he is here."

Quakers turnaround pleases Penney
Darlington manager Dave Penney believes his side are beginning to find their form in League Two after a difficult start to the 2008-09 campaign. Saturday's 2-1 win at Luton Town helped the Quakers into ninth place and Penney hopes his side can maintain the recent improvement in the coming games. "If we're going to achieve things we have to come to places like this and get results," he told BBC Tees. "If you come away unbeaten it gives you confidence of getting results." Saturday's win means the Quakers remain unbeaten in their last three games and Penney has been impressed with the response of his players since the 3-1 defeat against Bournemouth a fortnight ago. "We were a lot more resilient, we were stronger, not as open and more defensive minded," he said. "It's important that we stayed in the game longer and we did that at Shrewsbury, Huddersfield and now at home to Luton. "I'm delighted. It pleased me more that we came to Luton and ground out a result."

Hatch cleared of neck break scare
Darlington striker Liam Hatch is recovering after X-rays showed he had not broken his neck in Tuesday's 1-0 FA Cup replay defeat by Droylsden. Hatch, 26, was taken to hospital during the match, which was held up for 35 minutes, but was released to travel home and will be assessed on Wednesday. "He felt a crack in his neck, we wonder whether that's a whiplash thing," manager Dave Penney told BBC Tees. "We might have to bring someone else in up top." Kent-born Hatch has scored five goals in 13 appearances this season since Penney signed him on loan from League One side Peterborough United in August. Meanwhile, there was more woe for the Quakers in the shape of their FA Cup exit at the first-round stage by the Blue Square North side and the end of their 11-match unbeaten run. And the former Doncaster Rovers manager admitted his disappointment at seeing that record passed up in such circumstances. "We shouldn't have lost the unbeaten run to these , we went to Wycombe, Bradford and Lincoln, the last with 10 men, 11 unbeaten," he said. "You don't come to these places as a good team and lose your unbeaten record. "Perhaps we have been raising ourselves for the big tough league games and weren't mentally ready for this match."

Carlisle striker joins Darlington
Carlisle United striker Danny Carlton has joined Darlington on loan. Carlton, 25, who joined United from Morecambe in June 2007, will stay at the Darlington Arena until the end of the season. Carlisle manager Greg Abbott told the club's official website: "I think Darlington are a terrific club and this is a good move for him. Meanwhile, defender Darren Campion, 21, has been released from his contract at Brunton Park. Campion made four appearances for Carlisle after joining from Birmingham City in September 2007. His departure from Brunton Park follows a loan spell with Blue Square North side Workington Reds, who were keen to extend his stay at the club. Reds' manager Darren Edmondson told Radio Cumbria: "I knew last week that Darren had disciplinary problems at Carlisle. "He's gone back home to Birmingham and won't be with us unfortunately." Carlisle could also be set to hand some of their trialists extended stays with the club. The Cumbrians are looking at three players - former Leeds and York City midfielder Gavin Rothery, Bolton midfielder Michael Burns and Bradford Park Avenue midfielder Matty James. "They've done very well," said Abbott. "We're optimistic that we can do something with them. "They've come in and not looked out of place. The levels they're at have been very good." Rothery, 21, is a former England under-19 international who joined Harrogate Town after being released by York City in December. Burns, a former Liverpool trainee, undertook an unsuccessful trial with Gillingham during the summer. James joined Bradford Park Avenue following his departure from Blue Square North side Farsley Celtic.

Quakers stand shut to save costs
The west stand at Darlington FC's stadium is to be closed in a bid to cut costs. The club went into administration on 25 February, weeks after bosses said the Darlington Arena might have to be downsized due to falling attendance. The £20m stadium has a capacity of 25,000, but the average home crowd is below 3,000. Commercial director Christine Balford said it was an attempt to improve the atmosphere at games, and save money. The west stand is usually home to the team's season ticket holders. Ms Balford said: "All season ticket holders will be temporarily relocated and will be able to use the facilities of the south stand." The club has also increased the cover price of match day programmes and limited the number of complimentary tickets given away for home matches.

Quakers applicants please Singh
Darlington chairman Raj Singh has maintained there has been plenty of interest in the vacant managerial position at the Arena. The Quakers parted company with former boss Colin Todd on Saturday with the club bottom of League Two but Singh is happy with the quality of applicants. "We've had interest including three or four really interesting names, but I won't mention any," he told BBC Tees. "We'll look at them over the weekend and try to get somebody in place." Singh also commented on the background to the departure of the former Bradford and Derby boss, which came in the aftermath of a 1-1 draw at Grimsby Town. Todd was in place as manager for just four months, having taken the job following the Quakers' chairman's own appointment at the Arena. "It was discussed over Saturday and the Monday before, it was an agreement that we had two games and we needed two wins," he said. "A lot has been made about the players have been put together quickly, but they were Colin's players, he didn't inherit any. "We're four or five points adrift now and if you leave it any longer and go another three four games and you're into Christmas. "And if you're bottom at that stage then you're really in trouble then."

Staunton faith in Quakers squad
Darlington manager Steve Staunton has revealed he will use his contacts in the game to boost his squad, as well as offering the current players a chance. Staunton, 40, took charge of the club on Monday, and having seen Tuesday's defeat at Leeds, believes there is potential within the existing crop. "We're using other contacts throughout the country," he told BBC Look North. "The lads last night showed me that there is something there to work with, there's a great spirit." Despite the precarious position the Quakers find themselves in, there is confidence within the new management team that they can survive relegation to the Blue Square Premier. Ahead of Saturday's trip to Dagenham & Redbridge the club are eight points adrift of safety and six short of Torquay's total, but Staunton says there is every chance they can beat the drop. "The chairman means business, we mean business, we're not here for the sake of it, we want to be successful and that in turn means Darlington will hopefully be successful," he added. "We can stay up."

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