Fit-again veteran offers his services

Nov 24 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

NOEL Whelan has declared himself fit and ready to rejoin Darlington's bid for League Two survival.

The much-travelled striker has been missing for five weeks with a muscle strain but has put the time off to good use, shedding a stone during extensive stamina work with the club’s physio.

He was back in full training for the first time this morning ahead of the Quakers’ home clash with Morecambe and has told boss Steve Staunton that he is ready to play a role if called on.

With doubts over Mor Diop and Lee Thorpe the Quakers opted to start with 17-year-old Curtis Main as a lone striker in Saturday’s 5-2 reverse at promotion-chasing Chesterfield.

Staunton has preferred a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation at the Arena and attempting to secure a third straight success on their own turf, the Quakers boss could turn to Whelan to add firepower and ‘know-how’ to his youthful side. That would suit the former Coventry forward, who is itching to make up for lost time since he made his Football League return in October.

“It’s obviously up to the manager but I’ve had four or five weeks of conditioning now and I’m ready to play if called on,” he said. “I don’t know whether that’s to start or on the bench but the sooner I get back the better for me. Having missed this much time already I’d never say no to a football match.

“It’s been a frustrating month or so but in hindsight maybe it’s not a bad thing what happened. It was stupid really, the goalkeeper spooned one out and I stretched for it when I didn’t really need to and did my muscle.

“It gave me a decent length of time to build up my stamina though, and I’ve managed to lose a stone in weight in that time. I was 15 stone something but now I’m down to 14 stone and ideally I’d like to get that down even more.

“That – and my match sharpness – can only come through playing games so that is definitely the next step for me now.”

Given their dreadful away form, the pressure is on the Quakers to pick up points at home if they are to carry realistic hopes of staying up into the New Year. Grimsby’s battling point at Lincoln extended the gap to five points between the League Two’s bottom side and their nearest opponents by Torquay’s home defeat ensured they remain seven shy of safety.

It is a tall order but Whelan believes that under Staunton they are capable of preserving their Football League status.

“We’ve got to keep picking up points at home,” he said. “Stan (Staunton) has made his mark and he has a certain way of going about things which is getting through to the players.”