DARLINGTON will be without skipper Matt Clarke for tomorrow night's top-of-the-table clash with Notts County after a "technical error" held up their appeal against the defender's red card.

Manager David Hodgson had originally planned to appeal against Clarke's dismissal against Rochdale on Bank Holiday Monday.

Clarke was sent off in the 56th minute of the 2-1 win for a foul on Rickie Lambert. Referee Clive Oliver felt Clarke denied the Rochdale striker a scoring opportunity.

However, Hodgson was unable to make a decision on whether or not to appeal immediately after the game as there was no video footage available of the second half.

Eventually, it was on the advice of the FA's referee assessor Alan Wilkie, who had viewed replays of Clarke's sending off, that Hodgson opted not to take the defender's dismissal any further.

The consolation is that Clarke will serve only a one-match ban, not two games as was first feared. Replays have concluded that, with defender Joey Hutchinson also back-tracking, Clarke was not the last man. The 24-year-old will now miss just tomorrow's game.

"Alan didn't feel the sending off was worth pursuing," said Hodgson. "We had to take his word for it due to a technical problem - the copy we were given only had the first half recorded.

"Since then, I've looked at the incident several times on video and I still don't even think it was a penalty, let alone a sending off

"It is disappointing, but we have to get on with it."

With Shelton Martis fit after a back problem, Hodgson will recall the Dutch defender in place of Clarke. Martis has yet to play in his favoured central position in his six appearances this season, instead operating as a right-back.

Goalkeeper Sam Russell is continuing to struggle with a calf injury and will undergo further tests today. If last season's ever-present fails to recover in time, Bert Bossu will make his third start.

Yesterday's transfer deadline passed quietly at the Darlington Football Stadium. Hodgson last night insisted he was happy with his current squad but added he may have brought one player in had one headed in the opposite direction.

"There is a wage structure in place that we have to work within," said Hodgson. "We were willing to let one or two go out on loan but without anything happening we weren't in a position to bring a player in.

"It's not a concern because we already have a very good squad in place."

* Sheffield Wednesday have signed Rangers' defender Maurice Ross on loan for the rest of the season. The 24-year-old turned down a permanent switch to the Owls in the summer after refusing to take a pay cut.

But Rangers were keen to move him on, for the time being at least, to free up space for new signings.

The Scotland international had featured just once for Rangers this season, a late appearance off the bench in the 3-2 defeat at Aberdeen.

* Chesterfield boss Roy McFarland has completed the loan signing of Wolves' midfielder Sammy Clingan.

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