DARLINGTON manager Dave Penney has played down suggestions that a member of Quakers’ staff threw a plastic bottle into the crowd during Tuesday’s surprise Carling Cup win at Walsall.

The occasionally bad-tempered clash saw the Saddlers’ Michael Ricketts red-carded for lashing out at Ricky Ravenhill, while a couple of scuffles marred the latter stages of Darlington’s 2-1 win.

After the final whistle Walsall’s Anthony Gerrard received a yellow card for dissent, then Troy Deeney had to be physically restrained after becoming involved in an altercation with a Walsall supporter.

After Billy Clarke had scored Quakers’ winner, a home supporter complained that a bottle had been thrown from the Darlington dug-out, an incident that Walsall reported to the West Midlands police following the game.

Referee Darren Drysdale included the alleged incident in his report to the Football Association but Penney, who spoke with Drysdale on the pitch long after the supporters had left the stadium, was keen to play down the incident.

He explained: “What’s happened is that during the celebrations someone chucked a bottle in the air, it landed on top of the dug-out and dropped down. It was a pure accident. The fans around the dug-out area had a whine and moan but in the end they were fighting with their own players. It’s great to come away from home and wind the opposition supporters up, because that generally means you’ve won.”

Penney has confirmed that Paul Robinson will not be joining the club, neither will a deal be offered to any of the other players who were on trial apart from Jason Bradley. Striker Bradley, 19, currently sidelined with a broken toe, may go out on loan to gain experience, just as three fellow younger members of the squad have done.

Lewis Hardman has temporarily joined Northern League side Sunderland Nissan, for whom he scored on Tuesday, while midfielder Simon Todd is in the Blue Square North division with Blyth Spartans and striker Shaun Reay is at Harrogate Town for the season.