DARLINGTON boss Tommy Taylor will be pushing his players through the pain barrier this summer as he rams home the message that hard work is the key to success.

The Quakers complete their disappointing League season with a trip to Oxford tomorrow after which the players take their summer breaks before those that are staying with the club return for pre-season.

And with boss Taylor a keen advocate of the 100 per cent effort work ethic, the squad can expect a tough training schedule.

Taylor believes last Saturday's win over Scunthorpe owed a lot to the commitment of the players while Plymouth displayed supreme fitness levels in Monday's 4-1 win over Darlington.

Taylor said: "We worked very hard n Saturday and that's how this League works.

"If you don't work hard at this game you don't get anything out of it.

"We have got to work our nuts off to get the ball behind people, squeeze the opposition down to make them make a mistake and it's up to us to hit good enough balls into good areas.

"When I first came here I thought we were a tip-tappy side who thought they could get out of trouble by playing little five-yard balls and that's not the way to do it."

l Kevin Henderson is hoping to put some gloss on a disappointing personal season, writes nick loughlin.

The front man netted only his second goal of a stop-start season last weekend as Pool thumped Swansea 7-1.

And as Pool head to Exeter knowing nothing less than three points will do as the play-off race reaches its climax, Henderson is determined to make the most of what is left of the campaign.

Pool could yet have four games as they aim to sneak into the play-offs on the last day of the season - like they did at Hull two seasons ago when Henderson was on target in a memorable 3-0 win.

Henderson started this season in the front line alongside Ritchie Humphreys, but injuries, suspension and the arrival of striker Gordon Watson meant he has only started 13 League games this season.

"I just timed it right last week, I came on and scored straight away - but I was soon shattered, it was that sort of day,'' he admitted.

"I had a couple of chances to score before, but missed then and my first touch let me down.

"But when Paul Smith put the cross in there, I wasn't going to miss from a few yards.

Read more about the Quakers here.