Tommy Taylor believes today's match with York City marks the beginning of a new start for Darlington as they look to banish last week's mauling from the memory.

Thanks to the refereeing of Paul Alcock, Quakers were forced to compete against Scunthorpe for the majority of the game with only nine men after the controversial dismissals of Mark Ford and Barry Conlon - predictably the hosts won with ease.

So Taylor, who has added Brian Atkinson, Neil Wainwright and Adam Rundle to his squad, wants the Quakers to chalk-up a third consecutive 1-0 Feethams win.

He said: "I've just told them it was a one-off and not to worry about it. It's a fresh start because I don't think, or I hope, that nothing like last will happen again.

"It was Fordy's first start for a while last week and Barry's as well, but they both went before half-time.

"We just gave Wainy a bit of a rest last week and he's looked sharp in training."

Left-winger Rundle, 17, is garnering a growing reputation following some fine displays for the second-string. And the teenager has rocketed into the first-team reckoning after his performance in the reserves' midweek win over Walsall. With the return of Atkinson and Wainwright, Taylor has a few more options to think about.

"We've worked all week on the two wingers, getting quality crosses into the box, getting them to hit the ball into the right areas, then it's the forwards' job to attack that space.

"Phil Brumwell's been magnificent for me, so has Paul Campbell, and that's what they have to do to stay in the team. But we need a bit more passing to open teams up.

"Philly won't destroy a team, but Fordy can battle and he can open you up."

Steve Harper, scorer of the reserves' first goal during their win in midweek, has become the latest member of Darlington's squad to be hit by injury and he'll be out for a couple of weeks after a freak accident in training yesterday morning.

Taylor explained: "His foot must have gone into a divot because he was just standing there with the ball and went down. There was nobody else stood around him - unbelievable."

He joins Neil Maddison (ankle), Craig Liddle (shin), Adam Reed (knee), Danny Mellanby (knee), Gary Himsworth, Glen Naylor and Mark Kilty (all cruciate ligaments) on the sidelines.

Mellanby was expected to be fit in time to resume his strike-partnership with Barry Conlon today, but having felt a twinge in training the former Bishop Auckland striker won't be risked but will be available to face Altrincham next week.

The 22-year-old, who interested Sheffield United in the summer, signed a new contract at Feethams yesterday, keeping him at Darlington until the summer of 2005.

Taylor was impressed with Mellanby when the Newton Aycliffe-born attacker scored against his Leyton Orient side in September, and was keen to see him put pen to paper.

"I looked at him in training and I just thought we should give him a bit more money," said Taylor. "There was no way I wanted to sell him.

"Seeing him train was enough for me. He was excellent."

Delighted chairman, George Reynolds said: "The lad deserves this contract and we were very keen to tie him down.

"There's been a lot of interest in him from a number of clubs.

"He's been a good signing for us and that is why we have rewarded him with a three-and-a-half year-deal."

Liddle is having his plaster cast taken off on Monday and hopes to back in action by February while Kilty and Naylor are expected to be back around Christmas.

Darlington old boys Lee Nogan and Peter Duffield may not feature this afternoon.

Duffield is on the road to recovery having suffered a second broken leg since signing for the Minstermen last year.

Nogan is struggling with a calf strain picked up in York's FA Cup win over Colchester in midweek.

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