Source: Northern_Echo
Cooper's surprise at Smith's return
DARLINGTON boss Mark Cooper has revealed his surprise at Stoke City's decision not to follow-up their interest in Michael Smith - but insisted he is still looking to bring another striker to the club before the start of the season.[LNB] DARLINGTON boss Mark Cooper has revealed his surprise at Stoke City's decision not to follow-up their interest in Michael Smith - but insisted he is still looking to bring another striker to the club before the start of the season.[LNB] Smith was a surprise inclusion in Cooper's starting line-up for Saturday's 4-2 friendly win over Middlesbrough having returned to the North-East after a two-week trial with the Potters.[LNB] Smith initially played for Stoke's youth team before he was given 45 minutes in the first-team's 6-0 win over Newcastle Town last Wednesday.[LNB] Initial sounds coming out of the Britannia Stadium suggested the Newcastle-born forward had impressed Potters boss Tony Pulis enough to persuade the club to make Quakers an offer.[LNB] However, Cooper revealed the Premier League side have decided to cool their interest in the 20-year-old for the time being.[LNB] "He's done very, very well, we believed that they were going to take him, but they've had a change of mind," Quakers boss said. [LNB] "They're just going to monitor it at the moment which is a bit of a blow for the boy but I'm sure someone else will come along and want to look at him.[LNB] "There's a few more that want to have a look at him. When you're 6ft 4, mobile and you've got good ability then you are going to get attention. He's not everyone's cup of tea at the club, but we love him all the same.[LNB] "I'm very surprised, he did very well but that's their prerogative, they don't have to take him. They obviously felt he was a little bit short at the moment in what they're looking for."[LNB] Cooper has six forward players to choose from at the moment, and despite missing out on receiving a fee for Smith, Quakers boss insists he will still be allowed to sign another striker before the new campaign begins on August 13.[LNB] Last week, Cooper revealed the club had made a loan offer for ex-Quakers striker Tadhg Purcell - now at Northampton Town - but explained he is still awaiting a decision from the striker.[LNB] "I think the chairman would let me bring another one in but it has to be the right one, it's got to improve us.[LNB] "It's still in the pot [with Purcell], we're waiting to find out if he wants to come back. I think he'd prefer to go somewhere closer to Northampton."[LNB] With the new season just three weeks away, Quakers continued their impressive pre-season form with a win against a strong Boro side.[LNB] Tony Mowbray's men came out the traps flying, but were guilty of missing great chances to take the lead early on.[LNB] Leroy Lita went close for the visitors twice, before Marvin Emnes saw an effort go inches wide. However, despite being under pressure during the opening stages, it was Quakers who took the lead when Liam Hatch headed in Kris Taylor's right-sided corner in the 17th minute.[LNB] A low drive from Lita four minutes later and a close-range effort from Tarmo Kink put Boro ahead, but the hosts levelled four minutes before the break.[LNB] James Walshaw - who scored twice for Quakers against Brackley mid-week - finished from the goal-line after Danny Coyne failed to collect Greg Taylor's looping ball over the top.[LNB] With both managers keen to make use of their entire squads, the second half was a less frantic affair, but it was the non-league hosts who punished their Championship counter-parts with two excellent goals.[LNB] A lovely move put Quakers ahead nine minutes after the break when good work from Hatch sent Walshaw tearing down the left, with his deep cross met at the back-post by an unmarked Jamie Chandler, who headed past Coyne.[LNB] Mowbray's men piled on the pressure in the latter stages in an attempt to draw level, but a miss-hit right-sided cross from Ryan Bowman - on trial from Carlisle - caught Coyne out and looped into the top corner to seal a well-deserved win for Quakers.[LNB] After watching his side record their third successive victory, Quakers boss Cooper reiterated the importance of taking their pre-season form into the new season.[LNB] He said: "We've said to the players we want to hit the ground running this year, we're not messing about, we want to be up and around the promotion shake up and it's important we come out of the blocks flying. Every game we play now players are playing for their places for August 13.[LNB] "Pre season is all about getting the most out of it and the players' fitness and if you can get a good result like this it can give you a boost confidence wise."[LNB] DARLINGTON (4-3-3): Russell; G Taylor, Miller, Lee, Madden (Gray 46); Chandler, Elliot (Rundle 46 (McReady 53)), C Taylor (Ferguson 77); Smith (Campbell 46), Hatch (Wright 66), Walshaw (Bowman 66). Subs: Nixon, Quinn, Bridge-Wilkinson.[LNB] MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Coyne; McMahon, McManus, Williams, Grounds (Hines 66); Robson (Miller 72), Bailey (Martin 65), Zemmama (Reach 66), Kink (Main 86); Emnes (Williams 66), Lita. Subs: Ripley (gk).[LNB]
