By Pete Oliver

Penney has been in charge at the Arena for 15 months

Now Penney hopes his squad strengthening will lead to exiting the table at the top end when the season reaches its climax.

From a team on the slide, Darlington have been transformed into promotion challengers with Penney's new broom working to impressive effect.

He told BBC Sport: "We're delighted with the way it's gone this season. You're not quite sure when you bring so many new signings in.

"But I knew it wouldn't be as bad as last year. If we had not brought in players, like David Wheater, during January I think we would have got relegated. We were that poor.

"We got up to the edge of the play-offs but then the loan players went back and it was the same old, same old.

"We had to see the season through and then moves players on and get fresh ones in and the majority of them have been excellent."

Penney, who was appointed 15 months ago, released 19 players in the summer in a 'root and branch' re-building job and since then his new-look team has lost four league games.

"We have had odd blips but the good thing about it is that we have always bounced back," he added.

Pawel Abbott is one of Penney's signings

"We have shown good character in digging out results and even though we have not been playing that well at the moment we have been winning games.

"If we can start getting the performances better as well we will be in a decent position."

Penney has used this transfer window to fine tune rather than overhaul his squad and there will be more new faces to come, on loan later in the season if not before the January deadline.

One person who is not moving, though, is Penney himself.

The former Doncaster manager, who revived the South Yorkshire club during his six years in charge, recently penned a contract extension to 2011 to help kill off the speculation that surrounded his name most times a managerial vacancy cropped up in the Football League.

"There have been a lot of changes at the club," Penney said.

We have shown good character in digging out results and even though we have not been playing that well at the moment we have been winning games Darlington boss Dave Penney

"But that happens at football clubs because if you stand still you go backwards.

"I am quite a loyal person and I do the best job wherever I am but it [the contract] helped bring a bit of stability."

Penney's track record of promotion success at Doncaster makes Darlington look an attractive proposition for a top-three finish.

Four wins out of five with two games in hand over leaders MK Dons has them handily placed.

Penney is not so presumptuous, though, and believes nine or ten teams are still scrapping it out for the chance of going up to League One.

He added: "It's getting to that stage where people start to look towards the end of the season.

"But we have still got 19 games left so anything can happen."

"There are a lot of games in February and it's really around Easter time when you get a better idea where you are.