IN a week in which the future of Alun Armstrong will be resolved, Darlington manager David Hodgson will urge his leading scorer to carefully consider his options.

Even when Armstrong joined the club on a three-month deal in September, clearly stating the move would put him in the shop window, it was always inevitable that Hodgson would attempt to persuade him to extend his stay.

His contract is up this week and Hodgson won't deny the 29-year-old an opportunity to play at a higher level.

However, the Quakers boss will warn Gateshead-born Armstrong that he will be taking a gamble on joining a club away from his native North-East.

Indeed, Hodgson will put forward his own case to Armstrong with two options available - remain at a club which is in serious contention for promotion and guarantees first-team football or move on with far fewer certainties.

Predictably, Hodgson believes the striker would be wrong to jump ship after Quakers moved up to fifth in League Two following Saturday's 3-0 win over Leyton Orient.

Armstrong will discuss his future this week and Hodgson said: "I'm sure there are bigger clubs than us who are interested in Alun, who can give more money than us, but when I look at the set-up we have here I wouldn't go.

"The club is heading in the right direction, he's playing games and scoring goals so what more could he want?

"However, it's down to Alun and his representative and what happens this week."

If Armstrong decides to move, he will leave on good terms, after scoring his eighth goal in 14 appearances at the weekend.

The 29-year-old wrapped up victory with Quakers' third goal as Hodgson's men moved up to their highest position since August 2002.

"Being fifth is a hell of a lot better than where we were last year so we'll take that," said Hodgson.

"There's a long way to go and a lot of hard games to play but I would just like us to start dictating more at home for longer periods in the game.

"If the penny does drop then we could have a good second half of the season and we might start getting the crowds above 4,000."

For the 3,702 at the WMS at the weekend, Quakers' second 3-0 win of the season flattered to deceive in what was a much closer contest.

It's safe to say Hodgson has watched his team play better and come off losing this season. To play so average, yet come away with a comfortable scoreline, bodes well.

The game was only five minutes old when Darlington-born defender Alan White inadvertently put through his own net. Clyde Wijnhard claimed afterwards that he got the final touch, but it was White who was credited with a goal he'd rather the Dutchman had.

After failing to scoop former Middlesbrough team-mate Craig Hignett's cross away with his leg, White's desperate attempt to claw the ball out with his hand came to no avail.

Disappointingly, Quakers failed to build on their early lead in a scrappy opening 20 minutes, in which there were more stoppages than play and ten offside decisions.

After the impressive Wayne Carlisle came within inches of levelling for the visitors, the former Crystal Palace winger should have done better in the 26th minute when he fired over Sam Russell's crossbar following a mistake from skipper Neil Maddison.

On the half hour mark midfielder Adrian Webster - Quakers' best player in the first half - was unlucky not to open his account for the club when he drove into the side-netting from Ian Clark's near post corner.

At the other end Brian Close was quick to anticipate Carlisle's through ball, lunging at former Quakers striker Dan Chillingworth's goal-bound effort.

Unselfishly, Webster - with a chance to shoot inside the Os box - then squared for Hignett, who forced a corner from keeper Glen Morris. From the resulting set-piece Hignett turned his shot against the upright.

White made amends for his early blunder in the 38th minute, blocking from Wijnhard when a second goal looked certain.

However, Wijnhard made sure of his sixth goal for the club in the 59th minute, looping a header over Morris from Neil Wainwright's right-wing cross.

And with just over a quarter-of-an-hour remaining Armstrong wrapped up victory. A carbon copy of the goal he scored against Southend in October, Armstrong nipped in ahead of an Os defender before lobbing Morris.

Only time will tell whether his exuberant celebration was a signal of more to come or one last goodbye to the fans.

Result: Darlington 3 Leyton Orient 0.

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