DARLINGTON will have two new signings in their squad for Saturday's game at Blyth Spartans as they return to action after a fortnight without a match.

Quakers’ last game was a 1-1 draw two weeks ago at Curzon Ashton, since when Tommy Wright has recruited two signings in left-back Sam Muggleton and striker Wilson Kneeshaw.

Their arrivals were confirmed today, Darlington-born Kneeshaw signing for the rest of the season having been a free agent, while Muggleton joins on loan from Chesterfield.

Both are in contention to play Croft Park, as is Liam Hughes who is now available as Quakers look for a boost in their final 14 fixtures in which they aim to move away from relegation danger.

A midweek win for Hereford over York City saw Darlington drop to 18th, six points above the drop zone.

The two teams immediately below them have a game in hand, including Guiseley, which is the club Quakers travel to for the penultimate fixture on April 22.

By that stage manager Darlington supporters will hope their club is well clear of trouble, an ambition in stark contrast to August when Blyth visited Blackwell Meadows, Quakers having the better of a highly-entertaining contest that ended 1-1.

Livewire striker Dan Maguire put Spartans ahead with one of his 11 league goals, and Wright knows he is a threat.

“Playing against Blyth away is different to playing against them at home,” he said. “We need to focus our lads, and we know Blyth’s weaknesses and qualities.

“If we continue to play well and nullify Dan Maguire, who will be a massive threat, and Robbie Dale, then we will give ourselves half a chance.”

“Blyth are in good form at the minute and were unlucky last weekend.”

Seven days ago Blyth lost narrowly at Leyton Orient in the FA Trophy, Quakers instead having a blank weekend, but they did get in some match practice by playing a midweek friendly, winning 4-0 at Bishop Auckland.

Kneeshaw came off the bench to score, and no doubt he would love to do the same today against a club for whom he once scored five goals in one game.

It was in February 2016 and a 5-0 win against Ramsbottom United, shortly after he had a brief spell with Martin Gray’s Darlington during which he scored in a 2-1 win away to Blyth in Doodson League Cup.

Three years on the 24-year-old has swapped California for Quakers having most recently been with Sacramento Republic, a club that plays in the Western Conference of the United Soccer League Championship.

He was on trial initially with Quakers, and Wright said: “Since the minute he has been with us I have been impressed with him.

“He’s fitted straight into the group, the lads have really taken to him, a couple know him from before, and he’s a real character.

“He’s exciting, he’s got pace, he’s got trickery and one of the things I noticed about him was that every opportunity in training he seemed to tuck it away.

“He compliments the strikers that we’ve got really well and we could probably do with another body.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve been thinking about – should we being someone in, will they play? But this is a little bit different because he’s not on loan so I don’t have to start him, it’s very much on a merit basis.

“If he’s sharp and he makes an impact then he’ll play, simple as that.”

Muggleton, 23, a former York City left-back, also goes straight into the squad and provides competition for Ben O’Hanlon, Williams Kokolo and Alex Henshall.

“He covers two bases for us as he can left-back and left-midfield, he gives us a nice alternative,” said Wright.

“He’s been on the radar a while. When he was at York last year he was available on loan but we had just signed Ben O’Hanlon.

“I’ve known his dad, Carl, for years since playing against him so I’ve known about Sam for a long time and we were tempted to sign him in the summer.

“But then Martin Allen got the Chesterfield job and snapped him up. Martin Allen signed him at Eastleigh and Barnet, so he played in the Football League for him.”

Muggleton has also played for Gillingham, Boston United and Scarborough, and is known for possessing a long-throw, something that Wright feels could be a useful weapon.

Wright added: “He’s got a ridiculously long throw. It’s like Rory Delap’s.

“With us having Liam Hughes back and Simon Ainge, and if we’re struggling to break teams down, we can use it as a weapon.

“It will give us another dimension. We know we can play really good football.

“We’ve got the bodies to, if we want to, play ugly and be resilient, and Sam gives us an alternative.”