DARLINGTON are likely to give new signing Matty Cornish an outing in their home game against second-in-the-table Scunthorpe United tomorrow.

Cornish left Marske United when they suffered financial troubles earlier this month and is reunited with Darlington assistant manager Terry Mitchell, whom he played under at Blyth and Consett. Cornish played a key role when Consett reached Wembley in the FA Vase final three years ago, and has also played for several clubs in America.

Quakers are working hard to add some more new faces before the game but are finding it difficult to bring them in, because players either don’t fancy a relegation battle or other clubs are offering more money.  Darlington are currently second bottom in the table, and badly need wins to reduce the eight-point gap to the fifth-bottom club.

Armed with £30,000 from the club’s Boost the Budget campaign, chief executive officer David Johnston revealed that Quakers had hoped to sign a player from a club in a lower league, but he had been offered much more money to go to a club in Darlington’s league.

“We thought we had that player in the bag, but he decided to go full time and double his money,” he said.

“We know what we want to bring in across the whole of the squad, the priorities are creativity and goals. Having the Boost the Budget money behind us means Steve (Watson) knows what level he can compete at to bring in players.”

Quakers are the league’s lowest scorers with just 19 goals, 12 of which have been at home. They have won just once at home all season, against Chester, while Scunthorpe have won five times on their travels.

The Iron have beaten Quakers twice already this season, by 4-0 in the league at Glanford Park in August and then by 2-0 in the Trophy in November.

Striker Akwasi Asante will have a fitness test on a groin problem, as will Cardo Siddik on a knee injury. Defender Kallum Griffiths should be fit after overcoming illness.

Darlington have loaned out two players, defenders Blaine Rowe and Jassem Sukar to Mickleover and Scarborough respectively.