HAVING already brought in five from Blyth, Darlington manager Alun Armstrong hopes Peter Jameson will make it six.

The goalkeeper is joining the exodus from Croft Park, which so far this week has seen Alex Nicholson go to Gateshead and Dan Maguire choose York City over Darlington.

The lure of full-time football was crucial in Maguire’s decision, and it could yet sway Jameson too, but Armstrong is keeping his fingers crossed that he will return to Quakers.

Armstrong said: “He’s back from a holiday on Thursday and he knows I need to know before I go away on Friday what his decision is.

“He has got offers elsewhere, full-time football, but I’ve asked him to give me a year.”

Jameson played for Darlington during Martin Gray’s tenure, and signed for Blyth two years ago.

Armstrong added: “When Pete came to me at Blyth he was a fragile lad, mentally he was broken, he was always worried and nervous. Within a couple of months I saw the kid grow into a fantastic goalkeeper.

“He’s still got lots to work on, he’s still young for a goalkeeper, but his presence and his shot-stopping for his age is phenomenal.

“As a kid he was top drawer. He was the fan’s player of the year and players’ player of the year, he must’ve saved us 25 points last season.”

The signing of Maguire, scorer of more goals from open play than anyone else in the National League North in 2018-19, is a coup for York, and it means Armstrong is now looking elsewhere.

“I tried everything,” he said. “I offered as much as I could, the club bent over backwards, but the problem we’ve got is that we’re not full-time.

“We can’t offer it and that’s what we’re losing out to. If we were full-time he would’ve been here like a shot, but he wants to give full-time football a go.

“He works for his mate, so his job is safe if it goes wrong for him.

“We tried all we could and he would’ve loved to come.

“Financially he’ll be worse off, but it’s the dream of every kid to be a footballer and I totally respect the lad for it, but it’ll be a tough one to take because there’s not many like him, but we have got other avenues that we’re going down.

“If I could get in two of the ones I’m speaking to then it would soften the blow.”

Armstrong begins a one-week family holiday on Friday, and he added: “I’ll hopefully get some deals done before I go away. One definitely, and another two possibly on how things go. It’s a busy time.”