Cooper expecting more from his charges

Darlington complete their pre-season preparations tomorrow with manager Mark Cooper likely to field as strong a side as possible. With the Blue Square Bet Premier season starting a week tomorrow at home to Braintree Town, Cooper will treat tomorrow's match at Wetherby Road as a dress rehearsal. But he cannot name his first-choice XI as injuries are affecting full-backs Paul Arnison and Aaron Brown as well as winger Adam Rundle. Arnison (thigh) and Rundle (ankle) will miss the curtain-raiser at The Northern Echo Arena, while Brown only made his comeback from a thigh strain in Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Sunderland. Cooper reported that Brown is some way from full fitness so tomorrow's game could see Cooper give another run-out to trialist James Poole. The former Blyth Spartans left-back, who was with Consett last season, impressed while playing for Newton Aycliffe against a Quakers XI on Tuesday. He may be handed another chance tomorrow while trialist keeper Lloyd Saxton remains with the club as Cooper still requires a reserve keeper. "The team that plays at Harrogate will probably be the team that starts the season," said Cooper. "But we're struggling for full-backs. Aaron Brown is way short of fitness, he can still feel his thigh. We're trying to ease him back into it, but he still feels a bit weak in his thigh. "So we gave a game to James Poole who played against us for Aycliffe the other night and did really well. "Lloyd Saxton will train with us for the rest of the week and we'll make a decision then what we do." Cooper was left deeply disappointed with his side's showing against Sunderland, so will be keen to see a major improvement tomorrow against a side from one division below. He added: "We changed the system on Wednesday at half-time to try and get a bit of a spark, but the system means nothing if the players don't want to run about." Darlington could face former left-back Paul Heckingbottom who has signed for Harrogate after being released by Gateshead. Also at Wetherby Road is midfielder Michael Tait, son of former Quakers boss Mick, who was once in Darlington's youth team.

Source: Northern_Echo