Darlington manager Mark Cooper has revealed his frustration at missing out on several potential new players who have chosen Fleetwood Town ahead of Quakers.

He has spent weeks speaking to targets – recruiting midfielder Kris Taylor and striker James Walshaw – with the aim of bolstering a squad that has lost 12 players since last season.

That figure includes the end of Nathan Modest and Aman Verma’s loans, while Dan Burn was sold to Fulham and Curtis Main joined Middlesbrough on a free.

Released were Kevin Austin, Paul Terry, Gareth Waite, Gary Smith, Josh Gray, Chris Moore and Chris Senior, while the latest to leave is reserve goalkeeper Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton, who last week turned down a one-year contract offer at the Arena to join Fleetwood instead.

He was Town's eighth signing of the summer following the arrivals of Rob Atkinson, Matty Hughes, Paul Edwards, Peter Till, Keith Briggs, Andy Mangan and Gateshead-born Richard Brodie, who Cooper publicly admitted he wanted to capture on loan from Crawley.

Fleetwood's approach has drawn comparisons with Crawley, who last season won the Blue Square Bet Premier League title having spent a considerable sum on a number of players. Cod Army manager Micky Mellon refutes that, but Cooper does not agree.

He said: "I've been in for the same players that they’ve been in for and if it's not about money, then why have they all gone to Fleetwood?

"Of the players they have signed, I think we have probably spoken to five or six of them, but there was no way we could compete with them because they were talking League One level money. That's not the way to build a football club, as we’re trying to do, it's a quick fix.

"Good luck to them, it’s great for them that they’ve got that money to spend. Crawley did it last year and did it well. They got all the best players and built a good team.

"Fleetwood have spent the most money on what they think are the best players, but there’s never a guarantee that that method will succeed."

Mellon, however, claimed: "I can't understand the comparisons people are making between us and Crawley. I think there needs to be some research done by a few.

"Our budget for next season is less than last year – fact.

"We will work with a small squad, so it’s silly to suggest our players' wages are sky high like some people are saying.

"Crawley paid out big transfer fees and if you go through our team, they are mainly free signings."