Darlington'S player-coach Craig Lee yesterday played down the pressure on his side as they prepare for tomorrow's derby at home to Darlington Mowden Park.

With all the top sides to play in their four remaining games, Darlington need one more win to be confident of survival in National Three North, but Lee said: "There are three teams below us under greater pressure.

"We are looking to get something out of either this or the match at Blaydon on April 10, which might be a better bet because anything can happen in derbies.

"We are looking forward to it. We get on well with the Mowden lads and it should be a good game."

Darlington have hooker Dan Oselton back from Bath University , although both he and lock Richard Snowball are playing for English Universities and Wales Students at Bristol today.

Prop Paul Shepherd again starts ahead of Joe Oselton, despite being sin-binned after ten minutes at Dudley.

Lee said: "We had a chat with him on the way home. We don't want him to stop being aggressive, but it has to be controlled, especially in a match like this."

Rob Stewart starts at scrum half with David Andrew coming on in the second half. This has worked well and on the one occasion when Andrew started, at home to Fylde three weeks ago, Darlington's eight-match winning home run was ended.

Mowden won 20-15 at home to Fylde last week and beat Darlington 28-17 at Yiewsley Drive in October.

After his successful return on the wing last week, Mowden are considering playing Kelekolio Paino there again. No 8 Tom McLaren is expected back from Australia today after returning home for a wedding.

Of the three teams immediately below Darlington, Liverpool St Helens entertain Tynedale, and the other two, Macclesfield and Dudley, are away to the top two sides, Halifax and Waterloo.

Blaydon visit Fylde and hope to have flanker Matt Cook fit, despite retiring with a leg injury last week. Winger Colin Duncan is still out, otherwise they are at full strength.

Middlesbrough should move back above Morpeth into second place in North Two East by winning their rearranged match at home to relegated Northern.

Boro have switched Lee Davis from wing to fly half and dropped Ali Little to the bench with Mark Forster on the wing.

With prop Dale Sawdon and locks John Dixon and Phil Tilson unavailable, their places go to Jason Littleton, Ian Bradford and Mark O'Halloran. Mark Hatfield comes into the back row.

* Stockton prop Ben Jenkinson , 25, suffered a broken neck during last week's game against Boro.

A last-minute replacement for the injured Gary Skirving, he had to go off shortly before half-time and underwent an operation to fuse the vertebrae in his neck at North Tees Hospital.

* Hartlepool Rovers have had to concede their Durham Cup tie at Blaydon, which had been arranged for Sunday.

Rovers are unable to raise a front row, and after consultation with the county committee it was agreed they should forfeit the game as they had taken their pick of the dates offered by Blaydon.

The Crow Trees club pointed out that they were reluctant to play on Sunday themselves after visitng Fylde tomorrow, but had agreed to do so to suit Rovers.

Blaydon will now play the winners of tomorrow's other tie between West Hartlepool and Horden in the semi-final.