Having found himself in limbo last week, Jake Lawlor’s return for Darlington this weekend at AFC Telford United is a boost as his absence was a factor in the dramatic defeat to Kidderminster Harriers, believes manager Alun Armstrong.

He says Quakers would not have lost, the only goal coming in added time, had Lawlor not been back with Hartlepool United.

But instead of partnering Danny Ellis at Blackwell Meadows, towering defender Lawlor was in Pools purgatory.

His loan had expired and the clubs were unable to agree to an extension, despite Darlington believing they had previously struck an agreement with Raj Singh’s club.

“I’m relieved to get him and I think it showed on Saturday that we missed him, the experience of knowing when and where to be somewhere.

“That’s what you get with an experienced player and I don’t think we’d have conceded that goal with Jake Lawlor on the pitch.”

The Lawlor loan farrago came following a period in which Pools were interested in signing Luke Charman, who this week signed for Rochdale having, Armstrong says, turned down the chance to play for Hartlepool.

Armstrong revealed: “Jake was just starting to get going with us, and then they spat their dummy out because they couldn’t get Luke Charman for what they wanted, so they reneged on the [Lawlor] deal.

“The deal was in place in December to extend until the end of the season. It was in an email ready to be signed and sealed once his first loan came to an end.

“They wouldn’t agree the price on Luke, then they did agree to meet the release clause so we let them speak to the lad, but he didn’t want to go there. That’s when they reneged on the deal for Jake.

“Then they decided they wanted all of Jake’s wages covered but they knew we can’t afford that kind of money. They were using Jake as a pawn, that’s what I didn’t like.”

Alex Storey stepped into the breach against Kidderminster, but Lawlor has now cut his ties with Hartlepool and joined Darlington on a contract for the rest of the season.

Armstrong added: “I’m pleased its done because he was devastated when he had to go back and he missed a game because of it.

“It’s a brave thing to do, to sign for a club on less money than you were on before, but he was enjoying it here.

“I first spoke to him last summer before he moved anywhere and he wanted to stay full-time. He still does, he still wants full-time football, but he has been enjoying playing for us.

“I put an offer to him and that was it, we didn’t have to go over the budget, we didn’t need to sell Luke to get Jake.”

Lawlor will start as Quakers visit bottom-of-the-table Telford, who are in dreadful form.

Armstrong watched them lose 4-1 at Gateshead on Tuesday evening, the Shropshire club’s 11th league game without a win.

Darlington defeated Telford 3-0 earlier in the season, and won 2-1 on their last visit to New Bucks Head in March 2020 for what proved to be Quakers’ final away game before the season ended due to Covid.