ROVING winger Neil Wainwright last night paid tribute to the way his Darlington teammates have pulled together to boost their survival chances.

The former Wrexham and Sunderland man admitted losing at Southen on Bank Holiday Monday was a bitter pill to swallow after Quakers threw away a two-goal lead.

However, Quakers now stand on the brink of league safety after Saturday's 2-0 win over play-off hopefuls, Oxford.

"It was a devastating blow to lose at Southend when we were two goals up," said Wainwright.

"The gaffer wasn't happy with us and as individuals we weren't happy with ourselves either.

"We needed to go out on Saturday, perform well and get a good result which we did.

"The lads have shown great character to bounce back.

"We knew we needed to win this game big time and the lads have dealt with the pressure brilliantly."

Wainwright was quick to single out Craig Liddle for praise following his return to the side after a two-match absence.

The defender has been sidelined with a stomach injury but ignored doctor's orders to rest in order to play his part in Saturday's win, which takes Quakers six points clear of the relegation zone.

"Lids had been struggling all week with his stomach and I never thought he had a chance," admitted Wainwright.

"Even up to Friday there were big question marks over whether he was going to play.

"He blocked two shots late on in the game which I think summed up what he thinks of the club. He was brilliant for us."

Quakers travel to Lincoln on Saturday when a win should guarantee league safety.

However, Wainwright warned: "We've got to keep on our toes and keep going because there is still some work to do.

"With three games to go six points is quite a healthy gap but we can't afford to be complacent.

"We should be looking to win all three games and finish the season as strongly as possible."

Skipper Neil Maddison should be fit for the trip to Sincil Bank after pulling out of the squad on Saturday.

"I was going to play but my knee was still feeling a bit sore so I thought it would be best to give myself a few more days," said Maddison.

Read more about the Quakers here.