DAVID HODGSON has praised his side for their successful fight against relegation. With two games to go Quakers are six points clear of the relegation zone.

Hodgson would prefer to see the attractive football that epitomised his last spell in charge four years ago, but the Quakers boss reluctantly accepts that anything goes in the battle to beat the drop.

"These lads are not scrappers but that's what they've had to do at times this season," said Hodgson. "We are not the kind of side who go over powering teams. They have to do it with the ball and that's what they do from Monday to Friday in training.

"We showed that against Lincoln and a lot of the opportunities we had in the first half came from good football."

And, after safely steering his side to safety, the Quakers' boss looked back at the 1-1 draw at Kidderminster in January as the turning point in their season.

A last-minute equaliser from defender David McGurk earned Quakers a share of the spoils, ending a run of five 1-0 defeats from six at the turn of the year.

"We had that little run of 1-0 defeats and we broke that run at Kidderminster," said Hodgson.

"David McGurk got that goal for us and that set us on our way."

And while Quakers may be safe from the threat of relegation with two games to go, Hodgson insists there is still work to be done.

"It's not over as far as I'm concerned and I want to finish the season as high as we can," said Hodgson.

Meanwhile, Darlington reserves included five trialists in last night's 3-2 defeat at home to Notts County.

Hartlepool United full-back Mark Robinson, Argentinian's Sergio Perzero and Leandro Scartascini, and Austrian striker Hannes Aigner all started for Martin Gray's side.

Hull City winger Michael Cooper was brought on as a second half substitute for Craig Russell, who limped off with a groin injury.

A Paul Heffernan brace put the visitors in the driving seat but Quakers were given some hope when Scartascini pulled a goal back on the hour with a close range header

And after Paul Nicholson appeared to put the game beyond Quakers with a drive two minutes later, Chris Hughes reduced the deficit again on 67 minutes.

Darlington: Norton, Robinson, Mason, McGurk, Morley, Russell (Cooper 60min), Perzero (Coghlan 58min), Pearson, Hughes, Scartascini, Aigner Subs (not used): Molyneux, Addison, Parkin.

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