AS Dave Penney exited Darlington, he last night admitted moving up a division represented ‘mission accomplished’.

However, he said he had hoped to do it by sealing promotion with Quakers.

Penney yesterday signed a two-year deal with Oldham that sees him return to the division in which, in 2005, he guided Doncaster to their highest finish for 50 years.

He will attempt to finish even higher next season with the ambitious Lactics, although Penney had aimed to be competing in League One with Darlington.

He revealed however, that off-the-field chaos meant he had intended to resign at the end of the season.

But Oldham made an approach last week, and he said: “When I went to Darlington in 2006 I was hoping from the very beginning to get them into that division, I was hoping I’d be the manager of Darlington in League One.

“I didn’t ever promise a promotion but we tried our best.

“You could say we were unlucky with injuries and losing on penalties in the play-offs last season. This season we were not far off the automatic places until we had the ten points taken off.

“We’ve lost players because of administration and we lost games that we would never have lost had all things been equal, had players been paid and we could have prepared properly. That has been very disappointing.

“I’ve enjoyed my time with Darlington but it was frustrating as well, massively so towards the end.”

Penney hopes to play in Sunday’s fundraising game that he and assistant Martin Gray have spent recent weeks organising in order to help raise funds for cash-strapped Quakers.

Gray will be playing and will be in charge of Quakers at Chester tomorrow before following Penney to Oldham along with goalkeeping coach Andy Collett.

The financial chaos that has enveloped Quakers pushed Penney towards the exit and he said: “I was going to resign anyway.

“I was going to go on holiday at the end of the season and I was 75 per cent certain I was going to walk away when I came back because I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.

“Unless things changed drastically I was going to go. I tried to give the situation some time, but when a club comes knocking from a higher division it is flattering.

“They think I did a decent job at Donny, a decent job at Darlo so I took a new challenge on.”

Resigning so close to the end of the season was not how Penney wanted to finish his tenure.

But Oldham gave Penney a deadline to accept their offer and he added: “There were rumours about this job and that job, but once Oldham had made their minds up that Joe Royle wasn’t going to be there they quickly got on to me.

“I had a meeting with them on Wednesday, it was verbally agreed there and then. Oldham wanted everything to be in place quickly.

“At least it gives me a chance to watch Oldham at Walsall on Saturday because there are decisions to be made on their players. Some of them are out of contract so I need to have a look where I need to strengthen.”

Penney was at The Northern Echo Darlington Arena yesterday to say his farewells to staff and the playing squad, all of whom were signed during the 44-year-old’s two-anda- half year reign.

“There had been rumours flying about, but I don’t think any of them knew for sure that it was true,” said Penney.

“Mind, I walked in and a couple of them said ‘aren’t you supposed to be at Oldham?’.

“It was to come back, shake their hands and thank them for their efforts.

“They showed great character in the last two months or so and that will stand them in good stead.

“I keep an eye out for every club I played for, I do the same with Doncaster so it will be no different with Darlington and hopefully they will get the situation sorted out, the sooner the better.”