Nathan Cartman played hard to get with Darlington, initially saying he would prefer to play at Harrogate RA, and showing such loyalty increased Martin Gray’s desire to sign the striker.

The division’s leading scorer, on 29 league goals, makes his Darlington debut today at Heritage Park against Prescot Cables, weather permitting, three days after the clubs completed a transfer for an undisclosed fee.

It is the first sale Railway have ever made, but the 25-year-old Halifax-based player had been in no rush to leave a club for whom he scored 67 goals in 132 games since joining three years ago from Northern Counties side Liversedge.

Cartman rejected numerous offers to move on including when, in October, Gray showed an interest, but the player indicated a desire to continue playing alongside friends, despite the financial rewards elsewhere being greater.

“One of the things I like about him is his loyalty,” said Gray. “We have wanted him for a while and there’s been lots of others clubs who wanted him, but he didn’t just jump at the chance.

“He enjoyed playing at Harrogate RA, he has a lot of friends and didn’t want to leave them behind even though he knew he could’ve been good financially for him.

“He’ shown loyalty there and that’s a characteristic I like.”

Harrogate boss Billy Miller said likewise: “He has stuck to his guns, turned down offers and been really loyal. I hope he goes on and achieves great things.”

In all competitions Cartman has 36 goals this term, including three hat-tricks, and his exploits attracted scouts from Football League and Conference clubs, but Darlington beat them to the 25-year-old, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Miller added: “It had to be the right club, the right environment with the right ambitions.

“Darlington are a club with ambition. They have a phenomenal fan base and, like us, they have built up a loyal group.

“It’s a big, bold statement. Surely now the league is a two-horse race with them and Salford City.”

Making way for Cartman, however, is Liam Hatch, who was yesterday made available for transfer.

The tall striker, who played in the Football League for Quakers, is deemed surplus to requirements having only a bit-part player this season, used predominately as a substitute and unable to force his way into the reckoning.

Despite being used sparingly, Hatch has managed to score five goals in 19 appearances.

In his last start, away to St Neots in the FA Trophy, Gray asked him to fill in at centre-back due to a lack of available defenders, but Hatch was sent off inside the first five minutes for lashing out an opponent.

He was part of the Darlington team which won the FA Trophy in 2011, another day when he stood in at centre-back, while in the semi-final he memorably scored twice when Quakers roared back from 2-0 down to beat Gateshead 3-2.

He then joined Gateshead in 2012 at the same time as Jamie Chandler when Darlington were in administration, and then returned to Quakers last summer.

He signed a one-year deal when Gray brought him back, a contract which has 15 weeks to run.

After suffering a glut of postponements lately leading to having four games in hand, Darlington are hopeful today’s game will go ahead.

Yesterday morning there were puddles on the Heritage Park pitch, where the drainage is poor, but no rain has fallen since and none is forecast today.

Prescot are third-bottom having won only one of their 12 away games in the league, while Quakers are joint-second with Northwich Victoria, three points adrift of Salford.