WITH a four-match backlog to catch up on, Darlington are praying that their rearranged North Division One game at Aspatria is not frozen off again today.

While dates have been found for all the matches, another postponement would start to cause real problems, especially if Darlington qualified for the promotion play-off against the runners-up in Midlands One.

With the Durham Cup tie at Darlington Mowden Park to be fitted in on a midweek date after the clocks have changed, the potential obviously exists for a conflict of interests.

After winning the cup for the last two years, Darlington's priority is to gain promotion and player-coach Phil Lancaster said: "We see no reason why we should not win our last eight games.

"We were a bit ring rusty last week, but we have had two excellent training sessions this week and we hope to take that into the Aspatria game.

"We haven't given up hope of finishing top to earn automatic promotion because Cleckheaton still have a couple of tough games and their appeal against losing two points is still going on."

If Darlington win today they could go back into third place above Chester, who face a tough match at West Park St Helens. Second-placed Macclesfield have no game.

The experiment of bringing in Marc Potts as goal-kicker last week was not a success, so Kieron Thompson returns at full back with Dave Haswell reverting to centre and Mark Butler to the wing.

Winger Frankie Coulson has recovered from his leg injury and makes his comeback in the seconds.

Lancaster continues at prop, but Dan Miller could be fit to return at West Hartlepool next week after his leg injury.

Dan Osleton suffered a back problem at Chester last week, so Rob Goddard is hooking and Matt Dilworth partners Richard Snowball in the second row.

Mowden Park are confident their rearranged National Three North match at home to Bedford Athletic will go ahead.

They hope to make only one change from the side which started against Blaydon last week, with Richard Holbrough returning for Jon Wrigley at scrum half.

Vaha Faleovalu suffered a reaction to his hamstring injury after training on Thursday, while another flanker, Owen Hopley, is going to Twickenham.

That could leave Mowden stretched in the back row if loan signings Craig Newby and Soa Otuvaka turn out not to be available. But they were on the bench for Newcastle Falcons' match against The Cats last night with a view to playing today.

If they don't make it Jonny Boatman and Tony Irwin will come in, with Matt Hall providing cover for hooker and back row. Fly half Andy Dean is also on the bench.

West Hartlepool have no game today, which should help them get over the injuries suffered in a physical game at Driffield, where three players from each side were sin-binned.

Among them was Mark Baggs, normally a back five forward, who ended up at centre following injuries to Peter Hodgson and Allan Milne. Prop Carl Robinson had been injured in the warm-up.

For all their troubles, West continue to be upbeat and are holding talks about running a development XV next season.