Much has been said about the team spirit at Darlington during recent months, and the actions of two of their defenders this week is further confirmation of the bond that the players have with the club.

Paul Arnison has put an approach by leaders Wrexham on hold while Aaron Brown yesterday performed a dramatic about turn on his decision to leave.

He left The Northern Echo Arena soon after the club were saved from extinction on Wednesday and explained that returning to live with his pregnant girlfriend in Bristol was a key factor.

He said: "When you've got a baby on the way, and with the greatest respect to Darlington because I loved being there, some things are more important than football."

But Craig Liddle rang the left-back on Thursday evening while a couple of Quakers team-mates made an effort to change his mind ahead of today's home game with Fleetwood Town.

They succeeded as Brown travelled back to the North-East yesterday morning before announcing on Twitter: "Just got back to Darlo - where's my kit and boots?"

Arnison and Brown's approach typified the attitude demonstrated by several Darlington players of late, with several, such as Jamie Chandler and Sam Russell, talking of not wanting to leave, but feeling as though they had to after not being paid.

"The club gets to you," said Arnison. "It's not just a job, you could see that at Barrow. People were crying on the pitch at the end of the game.

"The lads were gutted when we got told on Wednesday. We were literally taking pictures off the wall in the corridor, me and Browny had took them off. It was Browny that had the screwdriver, think he got it from the kit room.

"I'd said to the kitman Tommo 'do you mind if I take a picture off the wall', it was a team picture from Wembley. Tommo said 'Take what you want Arni, the club's gone'.

"So we were taking all the pictures off the all and trying to get our shirts.

"Then Lidds comes back and says 'don't leave lads, the administrator has had a call'."

Despite Darlington's perilous state, Arnison wants to give the club every chance of surviving before committing to another team, hence his reaction to Wrexham's approach was lukewarm.

He said: "I've had Wrexham on the phone wanting me to go down there. But I don't want to leave, I want to stay here.

"I love it here, I love these lads and working with Lidds, but I can't keep going from day-by-day, week-to-week not know what's going on. But I'm not going to walk out.

"People have their own ways of looking at it, I don't know the best thing to do, but I can't just walk away.

"Billy Bar [Wrexham assistant manager] rang and asked our situation. I told him that we were made redundant on Monday and would find out on Wednesday what is happening with the club.

"We were together at Carlisle so I just thought he was after a general chat to ask how things were going. He asked about a few players at Darlington and then he asked about my situation and then asked if I'd come down. I said 'come down where?', I didn't think he was ringing for me!

"They're wanting cover for the right-back that's there, Obeng. To be 34-year-old and getting a call from a team at the top of the league, even to go as cover, is flattering.

"I want to stay here, play my part in keeping the club going and hopefully we can get it turned around if someone comes in to take over."

A calf strain, sustained while on a run around his home-town of Hartlepool this week may keep Arnison out of action today and a decision will be made on his involvement as late as possible.

There is also a doubt over Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's future as Lincoln City spoke to the midfielder yesterday, but Arnison will play if he can.

He said: "We'll have to see what happens, but I'm struggling. Lidds knows I want to play, but the bigger picture is that I'd rather get three points than play on Saturday, lose and be out injured for a while.

"I tried to train on Thursday, but it was so sore and we haven't got a physio to treat me. I might have to see if I can get hold of Buster (Ian Gallagher) who is a young physio at Hartlepool.

"It's a bit awkward really, with the Hartlepool-Darlington thing. We should have a physio really, it's a bit embarrassing. We should have one, but obviously we can't afford one."

Youth team players Rob Ramshaw, Jamie Barton and Danny Lambert all come into the reckoning today, while fellow teenagers Dale Hopson and Scott Harrison will start.

The visitors' last league away defeat was in August, while they are undefeated in 13 Blue Square Premier matches.

"I'm gutted that I might have to miss out," Arnison added. "The young lads might be a bit overawed with the crowd at first, but once they get into it they should be fine

"There's no pressure on them at all because Fleetwood are near the top of the league and have been scoring goals for fun. If we get anything from the game it's a bonus.

"They might come here and, knowing about the problems we've got, think they're going to turn us over. They might get complacent and think it's going to be five or 6-0."