By Nick Richardson
June 1 2005

MATTHEW CLARKE has managed to agree a deal with boss David Hodgson to keep him under contract at Darlington.

This news is fantastic for all concerned at the club as only a couple of weeks ago, it appeared inevitable that the promising centre-back was on his way out of the Williamson Motors Stadium.

Fellow Darlo star Joey Hutchinson also looks set to sign a new deal. The indispensable defender had his season cruelly wiped out early on when he picked up cruciate knee ligament damage away at Rochdale.