Darlington can take heart from the character they showed in attempting to overhaul a two-goal deficit to Mansfield Town on Saturday, believes centre-back Graeme Lee.

Quakers paid the price for a sloppy start, losing 2-0, with both goals coming in the opening quarter of an hour.

They improved as the game went on at The Northern Echo Arena, but were unable to get a goal despite the pressure they put on the Stags.

"We were slow out of the traps at the start of the game, we weren't with it," admitted Lee.

"They got two goals that we shouldn't be conceding and we were disappointed with that, but after that we got back into the game strongly.

"We could have dropped our heads but we kept going and kept trying. We dug in until the last minute to try to get something out of the game but, unfortunately, it didn't happen.

"It showed good character that we came back into the game and we could have got something with the chances that we had, but you can't start like that otherwise you'll get punished every game.

"Mansfield dug in, they'd given themselves a platform to do that by being 2-0 up away from home, so they're going to do whatever it takes to win the game and unfortunately we had given them that start."

The game could have been right-back Ben Purkiss' last outing for the club.

He joined from Oxford United a week prior to the season, when Paul Arnison was not fit, but his one-month loan expired after Saturday's defeat.

Arnison is now available, and manager Mark Cooper said: "I've got to speak to the chairman first, but I thought Ben did really well today. We've got to look at our options, we've got Arnison and Greg Taylor, and make sure we're not hoarding players."

Meanwhile, Darlington chairman Raj Singh has revealed the transfer fee which took Michael Smith to Charlton Athletic last week.

The striker moved to The Valley on transfer deadline day, when both Quakers and the Valiants announced the fee was undisclosed.

But Singh revealed that the fee was £75,000, while there will also be appearance-related add-ons, as well as a sell-on percentage. Notts County and Watford both offered £50,000 for the 19-year-old, added Singh, speaking in the programme for Saturday's home game with Mansfield, while Bristol City made an £80,000 bid, which was not good enough as it included staged payments.

*Michael Brough was unable to play for Whitby Town at the weekend due to a knee problem.

The former Darlington midfield player has been playing for Whitby of late in a bid to regain fitness, but has continued to train with Quakers.

Last season was injury-ravaged for Brough who played his last game for Darlington in January, but Cooper has allowed the 30-year-old to continue his rehabilitation with Quakers.

The manager would like to offer a contract should the player prove he is over the knee problems that restricted his league appearances last season to five.