Darlington complete the final round of their very own university challenge this afternoon with two new faces ready and waiting to answer any questions asked of them.

Just a week after visiting Cambridge, perennial undergraduates Oxford come to Feethams with Quakers boasting the additions of Jon Cullen and Phil Hadland to the squad - and both may feature.

After being held to a draw on Tuesday at home to Swansea City, the arrival of the new boys means Tommy Taylor could be tempted to make his first unforced changes of the season.

Although Quakers have four points in the bag after a week at the Abbey Stadium last week and a draw against Swansea, Darlington have yet to hit top gear.

After taking all three points last Saturday, Darlington's poor first-half performance was largely forgotten about and while it could be said Quakers were unfortunate to concede such a late goal against the Welshmen in midweek, a draw was a fair result as neither side dominated.

Darlington do not have any major worries, but Taylor's jigsaw is clearly far from complete.

For at least a month - the length of their deals, which will be extended if they impress - Cullen and Hadland will put pressure on the midfielders already at the club, a position in which Quakers are rich in numbers.

"There's been nothing major to worry about, I just want to be a bit stronger in a couple of positions, that's all," said Taylor.

"It's always good to have new players because it gives you competition for places.

"If you look where we've been undone so far this season it's been down the wings or people have not being doing their jobs properly."

Following Swansea's late leveller, Taylor pointed the finger of blame at Quakers' wingers, saying: "Our two wingers were behind our two full-backs. If they were in the right positions Swansea wouldn't have even got a cross in. What's so hard about playing in a 4-4-2 formation? The wingers are meant to be ahead of the full-backs."

Further more, Taylor believes teenage starlet Adam Rundle is not firing on all cyclinders, saying: "Even on the training ground Adam looks tired. At the moment Rundle would be better coming in and out of the team."

Although the Quakers chief is playing his cards close to his chest, with his assessment of Rundle and Tuesday night in mind, Taylor may well shuffle his pack and opt to give Cullen his debut, while Hadland is a contender for the substitutes bench.

Oxford, meanwhile, arrive as something of an unknown quantity. They finished last season fourth bottom but have released 14 members of that squad, replacing them with seven, proven players including forward Steve Basham, whom Taylor rates highly.

"Oxford will be bigger and stronger than last year." he said.

"I rate Basham. I tried to get him last season. I don't know whether or not he's going to be playing but sooner or later they will pick him because he's always likely to get a goal."

Alongside Cullen in the Peterbrough side which faced Quakers at Wembley in 2000 was forward David Oldfield, who will start upfront today for Oxford, while Andy Crosby, who captained the first ever Darlington team to play under the twin towers in 1996, will be at the heart of their defence.

l A decision on Andy Collett's availability will not be made until noon, although he look likely to be fit after suffering a blow to the ribs at Cambridge.

l Referees' boss John Baker made it clear there has been no fundamental change in the offside law for this season as he said: ''Defenders can breathe easily again.''

Baker, the Football Association's head of refereeing, is keen to put paid to rumours that officials have been asked only to award an offside decision if they see 'clear air' between attackers and defenders.

Baker declared: ''Absolutely nothing has changed.

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