Quakers sign Hatch

9:05am Friday 29th August 2008

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LIAM Hatch became Darlington’s latest signing yesterday after Quakers beat other clubs to the striker’s signature.

He joins on loan from Peterborough United, just seven months after leaving Barnet in a £150,000 move.

If he recovers from an ankle injury, Hatch will go straight into the side at Macclesfield Town tomorrow as Adam Proudlock has a hip problem.

A League One club wanted Hatch on a permanent basis and had a bid turned on Wednesday, allowing Darlington manager Dave Penney the opportunity to bring in the 24- year-old.

Penney has also extended the loan of Ipswich Town striker Billy Clarke, who will stay with the club until January.

Hatch has only been on the fringes of Peterborough’s team this season, his only league appearance being as a late substitute last weekend.

“We’d wanted him for a while and at first we were told he wasn’t available for loan but we kept asking the question and eventually were told he was available,” said Penney who watched Hatch play and score for Posh’s reserves on Tuesday afternoon.

“We felt we needed a physical presence and we don’t know when Pawel Abbott is going to be fit. And Proudlock’s not a real physical presence like Tommy Wright was.

“Don’t get me wrong, I still want us to pass the ball. Since Tommy’s gone we have passed the ball along the deck a lot more and I want to continue that, but Liam should give us a threat in the air and he can play too.

“With all these crosses that we have had going into the box we have needed someone there and Liam’s 6ft 3 and fantastic in the air.

“We’ve not had that option in the air of being able to flick on goal kicks and when we’ve put a lot of balls into the penalty area but haven’t converted our chances.”

Hatch’s arrival means Quakers’ first-choice strikers will both be on loan, and Penney explained: “The loans give us time to get other strikers fit, plus it means we do not have to use Curtis (Main) too much just yet because that would do him more harm than good.

“But he is staying involved in training and getting better in time, and the same goes for Michael Smith.”

Hatch trained with his new team-mates yesterday, and joining him for the first time since their respective injuries were Abbott and Clayton Fortune.

Fortune has recovered from a shoulder injury but will not start tomorrow, and neither will Abbott as he continues to return from am Achilles problem picked up in pre-season training.