Source: Northern_Echo
Taylor hoping to showcase midfield skills
With one week to go before the season starts, Darlington manager Mark Cooper has almost completed his summer recruitment drive.[LNB] Yesterday he brought in Ben Purkiss on a one-month loan from Oxford United and he could feature in today's match at Harrogate Town.[LNB] The 27-year-old ex-York City right-back has joined due to Paul Arnison's absence with a a thigh injury, which means he will miss the start of the campaign next Saturday.[LNB] The only vacancy in Cooper's squad is goalkeeper, as he still requires a back-up to Sam Russell, however, the manager is confident that chairman Raj Singh will allow him to bring a player in, as demonstrated yesterday.[LNB] Purkiss, who played in the Conference play-off final for York, takes the number of incomings at The Northern Arena this summer to seven.[LNB] But he is only the third of the new recruits to have previously played in the Conference. For as well as being at a new club in 2011-12, this season represents a new beginning for Ryan Bowman, Graeme Lee, Chris Atkinson and James Walshaw.[LNB] Adam Rundle has experienced the division before - on loan at Gateshead last season - while striker Walshaw is making the step up from the Conference North for the first time.[LNB] Kris Taylor may have begun his career with Manchester United, but he has played in the fifth tier previously on loan to Burton Albion.[LNB] He has since had spells with Walsall, Hereford and Port Vale, and he had no reservations about signing for a Blue Square Bet Premier club, pointing out that the quality of the division is arguably higher than League Two.[LNB] Clubs such as Dagenham, Doncaster, Exeter, Hereford and Stevenage all went on to enjoy promotion from League Two shortly after leaving the Conference, and few struggle in the division above.[LNB] Taylor said: "People have said to me you're dropping into the Conference, but in terms of quality there is not an awful lot of difference in standard between the Conference and League Two.[LNB] "You can see that with the teams that get promoted from the Conference, they always seem to be challenging for promotion the next season in League Two.[LNB] "If they called the division League Three then there wouldn't be that stigma, but because it's classed as non-league people have this perception which isn't necessarily accurate.[LNB] "So I don't think the standard is any different. This is an opportunity for me to show that I am a decent a player and hopefully take the club back up."[LNB] The mission to return Quakers to the Football League begins next Saturday at home to Braintree Town, a game that Taylor hopes to start in his favoured midfield position.[LNB] That is where Cooper has fundamentally brought in Taylor to play, though his adaptability could also see him used at left-back, which is where he played frequently at Port Vale.[LNB] The 27-year-old was also used there last Saturday against Whitby Town, with Aaron Brown (thigh) injured.[LNB] "I've been playing there for a few years. I'd be playing in midfield, the left-back would get injured and it would be a case of 'Kris, can play there' so I'd come out of midfield again because I can do a reasonable job," he added.[LNB] "On the ball I'm fine and my crossing is okay, but defensively, in a one-on-one situation, it's not my strength. As a full-back you're in that scenario on a regular basis so that's where I've been getting found out.[LNB] "So I've been looking to get back into midfield and show people what I can do.[LNB] "I've known the manager for quite a while, from when he was at Tamworth and I was at Walsall. So he knew of me as a player and he's always felt that I'm a midfield player, which is where I want to play, whereas in the past I've been filling in at left-back."[LNB]
