Alan Harrison has managed to turn back time in a bid to earn a contract at Darlington after battling back from a career-threatening injury.

Harrison first joined the club on trial over a year ago, but his hopes of being offered a deal were curtailed when he broke a leg, in an accidental clash with Quakers' Joe Kendrick, in a friendly against Bradford City.

It was his second game after being released by Middlesbrough, but having suffered the serious injury in such circumstances - without an employer - his career prospects appeared bleak.

But manager David Hodgson empathised with Harrison's plight and handed the youngster a contract and now the defender finally finds himself in with a chance of joining Quakers.

On Monday he kicked a ball for the first time in 13 months during Darlington's 3-2 reserve team win at Grimsby and Darlington assistant manager Mark Proctor is pleased to give his ex-Boro youth team player a chance.

He was under Proctor's wing in the Riverside youth set-up and although Joey Hutchinson has returned from a lengthy lay-off and Quakers signed defenders Shelton Martis and David Duke in pre-season, he is keen for Harrison to be given an opportunity.

"He's a left-sided full-back who is very good on the ball and likes to get forward. A defender may not be a priority because in all honesty the agenda has changed since he first came to the club," said Proctor.

"But in the circumstances it is only right that we give him another chance. He was going to find it hard to make the breakthrough there so I kept an eye on him.

"I know him very well, I was with him throughout his youth days at Middlesbrough and he played in the first Youth Cup Final we had that we lost to Man United in 2003.

"He came in on trial and basically he's back to square one. The club was fantastic to offer him a deal for a year because it was a bad break.

"Obviously he wasn't our player at the time so he, like other trialists, had signed a disclaimer beforehand which meant there would be no liability to the club if he was injured.

"It was a fantastic gesture by David and the club to offer him a contract."

l Jon Daly is finally reaping the rewards of a full pre-season campaign.

The big striker joined Hartlepool last February from Stockport and scored the winner in the weekend's win at Doncaster.

That goal came on the back of his header in the play-off final last season and a goal on the final day of the season that helped Pool into the play-offs.

Daly impressed at both Belle Vue and Bournemouth in his two starts this campaign and the big Irishman admitted: "I took time to adapt when I came here. When I came here in February I was lacking match fitness. That's the reason why I had a slow start.

"This season, I've had a full and good pre-season under my belt which has helped me no end because I missed the last two through injury and was always playing catch up.

"Now I'm in the team, it's my aim to stay there. It's going to be tough for the manager to make his choice on who to play up front and it's up to the strikers to make it difficult for him.

"I'd like to think I am doing that now. We have a great squad here now and we are lucky to sign the new players who came in over the summer as well. They have all added something else.