DAVID Hodgson is backing youth over experience when it comes to keeping out League Three leaders Swansea today.

The Darlington boss has lost the services of first-choice stoppers Curtis Fleming, Craig Liddle and Joey Hutchinson through injury over the course of the season and has had to put together a makeshift backline.

Though Hodgson must have wondered how his replacement trio of Brian Close, Joe Kendrick and Matt Clarke would cope, he needn't have worried as the Quakers currently have the second meanest defence in the division. They have conceded 11 goals in 14 games, one behind the best in the league - Swansea.

"When we kicked off the campaign we knew that we needed a front-line," said Hodgson in reference to the acquisition of Clyde Wijnhard, Alun Armstrong and Craig Hignett.

"We put that right and then we lost our entire back-line.

"We don't have a bottomless pit and we can't go out and bring in two or three more players."

While Hodgson has admitted a loan signing is an option, he emphasised that he has an abundance of faith in his current back-three.

"We have to look at the picture and decide whether the lads we have at the back are capable of competing with the best in League Two," said Hodgson. "I would say they are.

"We kept it tight at Oxford and at home to Southend.

"It was only through individual errors that we conceded two against Bury.

"The lads at the back are only kids but they've come in and done a very good job for us.

"I know that Notts County had plenty of chances but we're going to get that when we're up against players with the pace they had."

Meanwhile, Liddle has been given a month to recover from the various injury problems that have blighted him this season.

"I knew that he wasn't 100 per-cent fit by the way he was moving around on the pitch," said Hodgson.

"We sent him away to get checked out and the tests diagnosed that he didn't have the same strength in both legs.

"In the meantime, his stomach strain has returned from last season, which is causing complications.

"Unfortunately we couldn't work on his leg while he was carrying the problem with his stomach."

Hodgson believes it could have been Quakers, and not Scunthorpe, who could have been fighting the Swans for the top spot had he been able to locate the right players before the start of the season.

"Swansea aren't top of the league for nothing," said Hodgson. "They are there because they have been consistent.

"If we'd had our strikers in at the beginning of the season I am sure that we would have been top of the league with them.

"For the first eight games we had no recognised strikers and we're still only eight points behind Swansea. We now have a strike-force in place which is capable of scoring goals, as they have already proved."

Certainly, it's the Quakers' strikers that are the focus of Swansea manager Kenny Jackett's thoughts.

''It says a lot about this league that Darlington have been able to bring in that calibre of player,'' he said.

"We will have to be at our best if we are to get another win and try to step away from a few teams in the division.

''You watch Arsenal in the Premiership and they look like they can win at 75 per cent, but we can't get away with that.''

Swansea, given a boost yesterday by the news that frontman Lee Trundle is set to sign a new deal until 2007, were giving Andy Robinson (hip) a fitness test yesterday amid fears he will miss out for the first time this season.

Leon Britton stands by in what is likely to be the only change after Tuesday's win over Leyton Orient.

* Jimmy Quinn has resigned as manager of League Two strugglers Shrewsbury.

The former Northern Ireland international joined the club in May 2003, replacing Kevin Ratcliffe, who took the club down to the Nationwide Conference.

Quinn left as boss of Northwich to take up the role at Gay Meadow and succeeded in getting the Shrews back into the Football League at the first attempt.

Shrewsbury claimed a play-off place and went on to beat Barnet in a two-legged semi-final, before beating Aldershot on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The club are currently languishing at the foot of League Two after eight games without a win.

Quinn said: ''It was a difficult decision for me but I had to put the interests of the club and supporters first and felt that now was the right time to bring a fresh approach to the club.''

* Grimsby have signed Stockport striker Jon Daly on a one-month loan deal.

Daly, 21, has made seven appearances for County this season, scoring one goal.

He is the second Stockport player to join the Mariners on loan this season, following Chris Williams earlier in the season.

Manager Russell Slade has moved for Daly in light of his current striking problems.

Read more about the Quakers here.