Darlington manager Mark Cooper has explained the reasoning behind adding another player to his forward ranks with the arrival this week of Tadhg Purcell.

The Irishman has returned to the club, where he scored nine goals in 22 games during 2009-10, and takes the number of strikers at the club to five.

He is likely to start tomorrow's match against Hayes & Yeading at The Northern Echo Arena, with James Walshaw, Liam Hatch, John Campbell and Ryan Bowman all vying for a place too.

Cooper's men have found the net only seven times in eight matches - the joint-third lowest tally in the division.

He said: "I'm optimistic that Tadhg will get hold of the ball and score some goals.

"Of our defeats, against Tamworth we didn't have a shot, against Mansfield we missed far too many chances and last Saturday at Luton we didn't threaten up front.

"As far as I'm concerned at the back and in midfield we're fine, we're as competitive as anyone else. People can say that it's up to the midfield to make chances for forwards, but if forwards don't get hold of the ball the midfield players can't play. That's something we've looked at and analysed and we think that's the problem.

"I don't think I would want to play in midfield for us right now. Can you go and support the forward of the front man doesn't get hold of it? If you go and support him, but the front man doesn't get hold of the ball, it goes straight back over your head and you've got to go and run 70 yards back.

"The front players have got to get hold of the ball so that the team can get further up the pitch and allow the midfield to get closer to the forwards - in my opinion that's where we're struggling."

Purcell has returned on a one-month loan from Northampton, but Cooper revealed that the 26-year-old's stay could be extended.

As well as bringing in Purcell, Cooper came close to bringing in a second forward, from a League One club, and he said: "Bringing Tadhg was a reaction to the first few games - I tried to bring two strikers in and I still want another one because we need to score more goals.

"We're not going to leave it to fizzle out, we're going to try and be proactive and if they right one becomes available we'll try and bring him in.

"Tadhg could stay longer than a month, it's open ended. He wants to score goals, we want the same thing so there's no reason why, if he does well, that we can't extend it."

Hayes & Yeading may be one of the smaller clubs in the Blue Square Bet Premier, but they recorded a league double over Darlington last season and Cooper is expecting stubborn opposition.

He said: "I'm not going to say that Saturday is going to be any easier than Luton because we lost twice to Hayes & Yeading last year.

"They'll come here trying to make it as difficult as they can, they'll be compact, hope that our fans get frustrated and turn on us a little and try to nick something.

"So we have to take the game to them and make sure we get three points."

John McReady is contention after a knee injury sidelined him last weekend while Greg Taylor is available after recovering from the strain which meant he limped through the closing stages against Luton.

Aaron Brown is closer to a return while Michael Brough continues to build up his fitness with Quakers.

Meanwhile, Canadian goalkeeper Lucas Birnstingl has completed his trial and he will not be joining the club.