Teenage defender Dan Burn's displays for Darlington recently have sent a message to the rest of the squad says manager Mark Cooper.

Burn came into the side for the FA Trophy win at Telford ten days ago as Adam Quinn is cup-tied for games in that competition, but his assured presence at the centre of defence meant Cooper stuck with him for Saturday's demolition of Eastbourne Borough.

That was despite the availability of Quinn who had to settle for bench duty.

Now Cooper says that good performances will be rewarded so Burn is in the squad at Cambridge United this evening and could be part of an unchanged line-up as Quakers aim to build on Saturday's 6-1 win.

Cooper said: "I thought Dan was outstanding at Telford. I've been given a bit of stick for chopping and changing but I feel the kid's a good player.

"If you play well you stay in the team and that's how it should be. Just because he's 18 that shouldn't mean that if he comes into the team and plays well he'll be straight back out. If he plays well he stay in.

"He didn't look 18 on Saturday, he looked 28."

Although there were changes on the bench against Eastbourne, with Curtis Main and Chris Moore making way for Quinn and Greg Taylor, the game saw Cooper stick with the same XI for only the fifth time this season.

That meant no place for senior pros such as Tommy Wright and Kevin Austin, and Cooper added: "If you're a going to be a successful team and a successful club then you need a squad of 16-18 good players.

"Some people aren't going to play at times and that's the way it is. If you look at the bench on Saturday it was probably the best it has been all season.

"Those that weren't in the squad have seen the standard they've got to get up to if they want to get into the XI."

With the exception of Jamie Chandler, missing with a calf injury sustained at the weekend and replaced by Quinn, Cooper picks from a squad in good spirits following's Saturday's victory, but this evening's opponents are in poor form.

Cambridge are under the stewardship of caretaker manager Jez George following the dismissal of Martin Ling earlier this month and have not won in eight.

They are 17th, four places below Quakers, but brought their six-game losing streak to an end on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at Grimsby.

Cooper warned: "Cambridge is always a difficult place to go because they have big support with them being an ex-League team.

"They're having a bit of a rough time at the moment and we want to make it even rougher for them."

Tonight's visit to the Abbey Stadium is Darlington's first since April 2005, when Quakers lost 3-1 with Clyde Wijnhard scoring, as the Us were relegated at the of that season.