DARLINGTON face the prospect of being without their two leading scorers for the remainder of the season with Liam Hatch and Billy Clarke’s loans expiring, but manager Dave Penney remains an advocate of temporary transfers.

Hatch and Clarke scored seven goals between them during the first half of the season, but they are now back with their parent clubs, Peterborough and Ipswich respectively.

The loans of keeper Simon Brown and forward Richie Foran also ended after last weekend’s win over Bournemouth.

During his time as Darlington boss Penney has continually boosted his squad using the loan system, signing 14 different players throughout last season.

He has signed five this campaign and, although he has other targets in mind, Penney hopes to re-sign Hatch and Clarke.

Penney said: “Without the loan system, the players we have fetched in we otherwise couldn’t have afforded their wages or their transfer fee.

“The other thing that can happen is what happened with Jason Kennedy. He was with us from last February until the summer when he got released from Middlesbrough when we were in pole position to take him on.

“It’s not ideal but it’s where we’re at and it’s the same in the Premier League. Tony Mowbray can’t afford to buy a top-class striker for West Brom so he’s got the boy on loan from Arsenal, Jay Simpson, even though he knows he’ll go back in the summer.

“At Hull last season they had Fraizer Campbell, who went back to Man United in the summer, but he had a massive role in them getting promotion.

“If good players can’t get in their teams it makes sense.

They’re using you, you’re using them and it works for all parties.”

Both Hatch and Clarke were on the fringes of their respective first-teams but have become regulars and Darlington.

A similar scenario occurred a year ago when winger Joe Colbeck was plucked from Bradford’s reserves and went on to enjoy a successful loan with Quakers before being recalled.

Penney said: “The classic example is David Wheater. He came here from Middlesbrough and the rest is history.

“Then there was Joe who wasn’t playing at Bradford, came here, then went back to Bradford and ended up being their player of the year.”