Source: Northern_Echo
Quakers bolster squad with two loan signings
DARLINGTON this evening aim to record their first win of the season at the fourth attempt, and they do so with two new recruits in the ranks.
Talented young forward Nathan Porritt and defender Rikki Bains yesterday became Colin Todds 14th and 15th signings as Quakers boss.
Porrit has moved on loan from Middlesbrough, while Bains played for Macclesfield last season.
Todd has been keen to bolster his options after defeats to Aldershot and Bury which sandwiched a Carling Cup loss to Leeds United.
Porritt, who has joined on an initial one-month loan, can operate as a winger or striker and although is yet to make his Boro debut the 19-year-old did appear on the bench last season.
Assistant manager Dean Windass, who confirmed that the England Under-19 international is in contention for this evening, said: We want competition for places. Hes come in on a 28-day loan, just to see how he is.
Hes played reserve team football for Middlesbrough and this gives the lad an opportunity to kick-start his career.
Hell get the opportunity to play first-team football at Darlington.
Saturdays defeat to Bury means Darlington have scored just once in three games, leaving Todd in critical mood.
If you look at the whole 90 minutes our sharpness in possession wasnt good enough, we never retained the ball well enough in Burys half, he said.
People need to take responsibility, they need to get on the ball and play.
Burys wide players were always in advanced positions, and we had an extra player in midfield. That shouldve enabled us to get on the ball better but we didnt.
We were never really in control, but until their goal went in we were still in the game.
Once we had conceded it became difficult, although in the last ten minutes we probably did more than throughout the course of the previous 80 minutes. Weve got to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down because the Crewe game is on Tuesday.
They won 4-0 on Saturday, but Im looking for us to respond.
Not only does this evenings game represent Crewes first visit to The Northern Echo Darlington Arena, it is also the first league meeting between the clubs for 15 years.
Their 4-0 victory at Grimsby on Saturday was their first win of the season, a match which prompted Mariners boss Mike Newell to say of his side: It was as bad a performance as Ive ever seen, certainly since Ive been here, and possibly as bad as Ive ever witnessed in my managerial career.
Darlington (from): Knight, Arnison, Foster, Miller, Bower, Dowson, Convery, Lumsdon, G Smith, J Smith, Porritt, Thorpe, Dowson, Windass, Main, Bains.
