Source: Northern_Echo
Offiong joins the Quakers
DARLINGTON manager Mark Cooper believes that striker Richard Offiong can be the man to help get the club's Blue Square Bet Premier season off to a positive start tomorrow afternoon.[LNB] The 26-year-old has rejoined Quakers on an initial one month deal from Carlisle United and Cooper was delighted to add some muchneeded pace to the squad that faces newly-promoted Newport County.[LNB] Offiong scored four goals during a nine-game loan spell from Newcastle in November 2002 and the former England Under-20 cap played the first half of last weekend's 0-0 preseason encounter at Gretna.[LNB] Cooper outlined his reasons for making the South Shields-born striker the 12th new arrival at The Northern Echo Arena since the end of last season when he said: Richard gives us that real pace that we don't really have at the top end of the pitch.[LNB] And it gives us the opportunity to stretch teams. He is ready to play. He has had an injury from when he was on loan in Sweden at the end of last season.[LNB] It was a thigh problem but all it stopped him doing was kicking balls in pre-season, otherwise he has done all of the leg work. He looks fit enough.[LNB] His record suggests that he will score goals. It is the same with Liam Hatch and Chris Senior. So, if those three players are in the team then we look like we have goals at our disposal.[LNB] Cooper admitted that preseason had left him concerned about his team's lack of firepower and improving in the final third has been the main focus on the training pitch this week.[LNB] This week our work has been all about forward play and trying to unlock the door with the final pass. We must make sure that we are a threat going forward.[LNB] We've tried to get a good organisation about us, at setpieces and the way we play, to give us the best possible chance of being competitive in the league.[LNB] Cooper has no new injury worries ahead of the visit of Dean Holdworth's side with Gareth Waite and Michael Brough the only players out.[LNB] He added: Broughy has had an operation and he's on the road to recovery now.[LNB] We're hopeful he'll be back in about six weeks, which is better than we'd feared initially, we thought it was going to be three or four months.[LNB] So, fingers crossed he'll be back in six weeks, and the only other injury at the moment is Gareth Waite.[LNB] We're not sure how long he's going to be but overall we've come through pre-season in decent shape.[LNB]
