SCORING the opener and producing a man-of-the-match display in a shock away win isn’t a bad way to make your debut.

That’s what Darlington’s Irish striker Tadhg Purcell achieved on Tuesday, putting Quakers ahead just 90 seconds into the second half at promotion- chasing Rotherham United.

The former Shamrock Rovers player is aiming for a similar outcome today when he travels with his new teammates to Gresty Road, home to 14th placed Crewe Alexandra.

Bottom-of-the-table Darlington continue their attempt to avoid relegation, a prospect that Purcell admits he is relishing.

“I enjoyed my time at Shamrock but it was time to move on and accept a new challenge and show people over here what I can do,” he said.

“I had no reservations about coming here. I signed for Rovers when they were in the (Irish) first division, which is quite a low standard.

As a player you could sign for a mid-table team but there wouldn’t be much of a challenge there.

“It’s a challenge to come to Darlington. I’m sure that some players looked at where Darlington are in the league and thought maybe it’s not for me.

“We’re 14 points off safety with 24 games to play, let’s go for it and see what we can do.”

If it was a challenge he was after then he has come to the right place.

Today’s game heralds the latest in what promises to become a series of new experiences for the 24-year-old who was brought to the North- East this month by Darlington’s Irish manager Steve Staunton as one of six signings.

Having previously played in the League of Ireland, in which Shamrock finished runners-up last season, the second half of this campaign will see Purcell up against opposition he has never previously encountered at grounds he has never played at.

The same is true of several of his team-mates, such as Mor Diop as well as fellow Irishmen Gary Dempsey and Simon Madden.

But unlike the rest of the newly-built squad, one experience Madden and Purcell can boast of is playing against Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants faced Shamrock in a friendly last July, to open the Tallaght Stadium, and it remains a highlight for Purcell.

He said: “I played rightwing, which is the position I played last season, and I kept having to track Rafael van der Vaart and then Karim Benzema was dropping in an as well!

I couldn’t see a thing, it was just a white blur!

“It was an unbelievable game. Sky Sports did it live and it was just phenomenal, one of the best things that have happened to me.

“We kept it to 0-0 up to about 83 minutes so the lads were delighted but then Benzema scored. I ended up getting van der Vaart’s jersey so I was pleased with that.

“Ronaldo came off at halftime and he had a stinker. He got a few tackles – that’s the Irish way – and you can’t tell us not to tackle!

“One of the lads asked for his jersey but he wouldn’t give it to him because he was pissed off and just walked back into the changing room.”

Today at Crewe, who have lost six of their 11 home league games, Purcell and his new team-mates aim to follow up Tuesday’s impressive exploits.

Staunton certainly holds no fears that his Irish trio can become a success, and cites the amount of former League of Ireland players making the grade in the Football League.

“I’ve seen plenty of games in the League of Ireland over the last three or four years and the better teams could hold their own in the Championship or be at the top of League One,” said Staunton, who adds Madden to today’s squad after the right-back was banned for the Rotherham game.

“They are competitive and there is enough talent there.

Joe Gamble has just signed for Hartlepool, Gary Deegan has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Coventry.

“So there are good enough players over there. It comes down to whether those players want to leave home and start afresh over here. Some players over there are in the comfort zone with their families around them.

“But there are still plenty of them willing to try their hand in Britain to make a career for themselves.”

Purcell added: “League Two is going to be tough, it is going to be a lot like the Irish league, quite physical and you have to be able to put yourself about and be able to protect yourself, especially if you’re a striker.

“League Two is definitely going to be a challenge. Hopefully myself and the rest of the players here can step up to the mark and get ourselves out of trouble.”