JAMES CATON has been challenged to prove himself at Darlington and take advantage of the fresh start handed to him by Tommy Wright.

The appointment of Quakers’ boss a fortnight ago means a clean slate for everyone in the squad, Wright keen to ignore what’s gone before and allow players an opportunity to impress him.

Their next chance comes in today’s game at Blackwell Meadows against Brackley, Wright’s first Quakers match in charge on home soil following last week’s loss at Blyth Spartans.

Caton came off the bench at Croft Park and Wright was pleased with his showing.

The player, however, is yet to meet the standards hoped of him after Martin Gray brought him in from Dover during pre-season, when a number of eye-catching displays in friendlies suggested Quakers had captured a talented forward.

He has scored only once, in a 4-1 win over Alfreton, at a time he was used up front alongside Mark Beck, the former Shrewsbury striker having since been given a role on the left of midfield.

Wright said: “For a lot of the players at this level who either want to get into full-time football or have been there before, they have got to be performing and I have told them that.

“I spoke to Caton on Thursday. On paper he’s one hell of a footballer. Has he done it yet in a Darlington shirt? No. Do I feel I can the best out of him? I probably do and I want to be the person that brings it out of him.

“I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and I thought he looked bright when I brought him on for 20 minutes on Saturday.”

Caton, formerly with Blackpool, recently missed three games with a groin strain sustained at Boston United on September 23, but he has now returned with two appearances as a substitute.

His appearance at Blyth was his fourth as a substitute, and he has been withdrawn in all but one of his ten starts.

Wright added: “What’s his mindset now? He’s played in the Football League – does he want to get back there, or he is just going to potter about?

“I need to know a little bit more about him now.

“If he’s been underperforming there must be a reason for that, so can I now get into his head and get him back to where he was at.

“There’s a few challenges like that in the squad.”

Another player hoping to catch Wright’s eye is Jack Vaulks, a young centre-back signed from Crook Town in September.

Gray gave him a handful of appearances from the bench, explaining that he would prefer to send him out on loan for spell rather than start him in league fixtures.

“Everyone I speak to seems very positive about the lad so I just to test him a little bit more in training,” said Wright.

“I don’t know anything about him apart from the training sessions I’ve taken. He’s a good size, he’s been asked to play in the reserves every week and his attitude is first class.

“I’ve had two calls about him this week from clubs. I want to keep him now, instead of saying ‘okay go out and play for a month’ because I might actually need him.”

One player Wright does not need is Paulo Mendes, who has been released after a month at the club and no first-team appearances.

The Wrexham-based midfielder signed on a non-contract basis two days before Gray’s resignation.

Mendes played the first 45 minutes for the reserves last Saturday, but was replaced at half-time when he said he had an ankle injury.

Dom Collins will have a fitness test today having sustained a foot injury just before half-time at Blyth, when Quakers led 1-0 with Dave Syers scoring.

The defeat knocked Darlington down to 13th, while today’s opposition are fourth having recently beaten Boston and Blyth.

Today’s game is the first of three league fixtures in November that sees Quakers face teams in the top ten, with a trip to tenth-placed Kidderminster next weekend followed by Tamworth, who are currently seventh, travelling to the North-East in a fortnight.