Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington to hand trialists a chance
Darlington get their pre-season games underway this evening against Newcastle United and a large crowd at The Northern Echo Arena will see a handful of new faces in Quakers' line-up.[LNB] The four new signings are expected to play some part Graeme Lee, Kris Taylor, Adam Rundle and James Walshaw while Mark Cooper's trialists will also see action.[LNB] Goalkeeper Deale Chamberlain, centre-back Nick Wood, midfielder Jake Simpson and striker Ryan Bowman have all been training with Quakers and are all likely to be involved.[LNB] Chamberlain was released by Liverpool in the summer, Wood was with Tranmere last season, Simpson has played for Shrewsbury and Stockport while Bowman is currently with Carlisle.[LNB] Former Middlesbrough youngster James Gray, however, cut short his trial to try his luck with Leicester.[LNB] We've not made any decisions yet, said Cooper. It wouldn't be fair without seeing them in games, so hopefully they'll get some game time tomorrow night.[LNB] I think we're in a position now where we don't have to take loads of trialists in. We've got a strong group and we can afford to be picky and add one or two.[LNB] The trialists will be aiming to impress in front of a crowd around the 7,000-mark as the Magpies have sold around 5,000 tickets with Quakers selling close to 1,000 with many more yet to buy tickets expected to attend.[LNB] But there will be no Aaron Brown, Adam Quinn or Marc Bridge-Wilkinson this even-ing as all are injured.[LNB] Brown has sustained a thigh problem in training that will keep him sidelined for a week, while Quinn and Bridge-Wilkinson both underwent hernia operations during the summer and they are still recovering.[LNB] Cooper has revealed that former Quakers striker Tadhg Purcell is a target.[LNB] He said: We've declared an interest in the player, but he's got to want to come to us. He's one of a number of players we're looking at to strengthen what is already a strong group.[LNB] But Tadhg hasn't been training with us, he's a Northampton player and he's training with them.[LNB] With the Cobblers having signed several strikers, he is down the pecking order at Sixfields and manager Gary Johnson is keen for the Irishman to leave on loan.[LNB] Johnson said: Tadhg is at a stage now where it would be good for him. Darlington could give him an opportunity. He'd be going there to get some games and we'd assess it from there.[LNB] I've only seen him training, and I don't know what he was like previously, so it'd be good to see him in games to decide whether he becomes part of our squad for the rest of the season.[LNB] He might need to prove that away from here because he may not get the chance in the first team.[LNB] Purcell was injured for almost all of last season after rupturing his cruciate and lateral knee ligaments.[LNB]
