TRIALISTS Gary Pearson and Glenn Robson could become Gary Bennett's next signings after impressing while on tour with Darlington.

Bennett took them on Quakers' mini-tour of Ireland and admitted the pair could bring the number of former non-League players at the club to five following in the footsteps of Adam Marsh, Kirk Jackson and Danny Mellanby.

Bennett said: "We're interested in bringing them to the club, but we've got to speak to the managers at their clubs and we've got to speak to the players themselves."

Robson caught Bennett's eye when he scored a hat-trick against the Quakers while playing for Blyth Spartans almost two weeks ago.

The striker started in the defeat to Bray Wanderers as well as the win over Waterford United, while Pearson, who is a combative midfielder, saw action against Dublin City.

Pearson, who had a week on trial at Hartlepoool in 1996, plays in a central-midfield berth for Durham City in the Albany Northern League alongside his brother Alan.

But while Bennett aims to bolster his squad, the injury-jinx Bennett endured last season is making an unwelcome return before the season has started.

Paul Heckingbottom, Neil Maddison, Alex Jeannin (all groin problems) and Kirk Jackson (stomach strain) have all been suffering but Bennett is hoping they'll be fit in time for the league opener at Southend a week on Saturday.

"Hopefully they'll all be fit in time, it's fingers crossed really,'' he confessed. "We'll have a proper look at them when we get back from Ireland."

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