Darlington manager Gary Bennett will have to wait until next week before he can sign defender Dean Walling.

The 31-year-old centre half played for Quakers in their 2-1 defeat at Lincoln City on Wednesday, and he did enough to persuade Bennett to push ahead with a possible signing.

But chairman George Reynolds is pursuing a claim in the High Court and Bennett has been unable to meet him and receive the go-ahead.

"I'm keen on signing Dean," said Bennett. "I've known him for a long time, and I know what he can do."

Walling is available on a free from Doncaster, who signed him for £25,000 from Lincoln 18 months ago. Bennett sees him as the ideal person to provide cover in the centre of defence, as Adam Reed and Craig Liddle are both on four bookings.

Quakers depart on their longest trip of the season to Plymouth this morning without defender Gary Himsworth.

Paul Heckingbottom, Neil Aspin, Brian Atkinson, Glenn Naylor and John Williams are all carrying knocks, but midfielder Jesper Hjorth came through his comeback game at York on Tuesday night without any ill effects and will travel, along with midfielder Paul Campbell, who has now recovered from a groin injury.

Former Darlington player Ken Furphy has parted company with Exeter City only six days after being appointed as technical consultant. The 69-year-old - who has managed Sheffield United and Watford in his career - was sacked by manager Noel Blake.

Blake claimed that the players were confused by two sets of instructions. Furphy has denied that was the case.

Quakers are still waiting for the Football League to give them a re-arranged date for their postponed game with Exeter