 On his first start of the season against Wycombe Wanderers, Purcell was stretched off; it was later revealed that he would subsequently be ruled out for the remainder of the 2010–11 season with ruptured cruciate and lateral knee ligaments.He joined former club Darlington on a one-month loan in September 2011, in what "Cobblers" boss Gary Johnson stated was an attempt to regain match fitness.He scored one goal in five Conference National appearances for the "Quakers", before returning to Sixfields.