Darlington arrived in Torquay last night in buoyant mood with manager Mick Tait and his team relishing this afternoon's Third Division clash at Plainmoor.

Even a gruelling eight-hour coach journey to the 'English Riviera' has not blunted the team's enthusiasm to extend their unbeaten run to four games.

After a nightmare start to the campaign, which saw Quakers lose their opening three games, Tait's battlers have proved a hard team to beat in recent weeks, with wins over Carlisle and Doncaster, followed by Tuesday night's hard-earned draw at York.

"With the bad start we had things were getting a little bit tense," said Tait.

"But things have been pretty relaxed over the last couple of weeks and that's what winning does for you.

"Everybody relaxes and starts playing a bit better and hopefully we can continue that at Torquay.

"We have to just prepare ourselves as best as we can. We've had another good week with the draw on Tuesday and the rest of the week training.

"All we want to do is continue with what we've been doing and that's working hard and getting results.

"The lads have a lot more confidence than they had a few weeks ago and we just need to take that into this game."

Providing they can come away with at least a point, Tait believes tonight's 350-mile trip back to the North-East will feel a whole lot shorter.

"It's a long trip down there but if you don't get anything it's a horrible trip back," said Tait.

"We've got to work hard to make sure we don't have a miserable eight hours back.

"There's no point in worrying about how far we have to travel because everybody has to do it."

Quakers were beaten 3-1 in the same fixture last season in a game which saw the dismissal of defender Stuart Whitehead after just half an hour.

"Over the last couple of years we've been very unlucky not to come away from there with anything," said Tait

"We played with ten men for most of the game last season when Stu was sent off and the year before we absolutely battered them and ended up losing 2-1."

But providing Quakers can finish with 11 men and show the same kind of work-rate which has hoisted them up the Third Division table in recent weeks, Tait has every confidence his side can come away with at least a point.

"I think we've worked hard in the last three games to get the results," said Tait.

"We've deserved every one of them and as long as we keep working hard the results will come."

As Quakers showed at York, even with ten men they have enough to grind out results.

Gary Pearson was sent off with 15 minutes to go at Bootham Crescent and today begins a four-match ban following his first sending off against Carlisle a fortnight ago.

"It was a real whole-hearted display from them at York," said Tait.

"I thought we could have been three or four up by half-time.

"They had a bit of luck which kept them in the game and up until Gaz got sent off I thought we were well on top.

"It was a difficult last 15 minutes with ten men but I think we did very well to get a point out of it."

With Pearson's midfield place up for grabs, Neil Maddison, Fabian Bossy and Ian Clark will all compete for a starting berth.

Another player who will be hoping to figure is striker Glen Robson after his hat-trick for the reserves in midweek.

However the former Blyth man may have to settle for a place on the bench with Matt Clarke expected to continue in attack alongside Barry Conlon.

Defender Erdem Artun has been ruled out with a knee problem.

The Gulls are without skipper Craig Taylor, who is suspended. Southampton teenager Mike Williamson is expected to deputise for the defender. Striker Martin Gritton faces a late fitness test on a groin strain.

l Reading's Kevin Dillon is not certain to be handed the manager's job following Alan Pardew's defection to West Ham, writes PAUL DIXON. Chairman John Madejski made it clear on Thursday that he had been inundated with applications for the vacancy and was going to consider them all.

''Kevin has done a good job for us and we are still winning games in case no-one has noticed. But the decision on the new manager has to be right.''

l Rotherham entral defender Guy Branston has joined Wycombe on a month's loan, just 24 hours after being transfer-listed by Millers boss Ronnie Moore.

Although the 34-year-old has joined the Chairboys on an initial loan, Moore has said he would be prepared to release Branston on a permanent transfer for the right fee.

l Millwall have agreed to extend Ben May's loan deal at Brentford. The striker will be at Griffin Park for a further month.