Darlington assistant manager Mick Tait yesterday told his players: "Don't waste all your hard work."

Quakers go to bottom club Halifax today after a deflating spell of three successive defeats which follows a run of just one defeat in the previous 12.

After looking as if they would ensure themselves of a comfortable mid-table position following the win over Cardiff a fortnight ago, they slipped to 16th in the table after the last-minute defeat at Torquay on Tuesday night and still need a point to guarantee safety.

Tait also brushed aside any thoughts the other relegation strugglers might have that Quakers might relax and do a favour for Halifax boss Paul Bracewell, a former teammate of Gary Bennett's at Sunderland.

"We're devastated that we've lost three games in a row," said Tait. "The players worked their socks off to climb away from the bottom of the table and to let the season peter out after some of the good results we've had will be an injustice.

"We want to finish the season off with a couple of good wins, whichever starting 11 we choose.

"We want to make sure we win, no matter who we're playing against."

Quakers have conceded two goals in each of their last three matches, and Tait said: "The two goals we conceded on Tuesday at Torquay were awful, and I think that really shook the players.

"We went on to the field on Tuesday expecting to win and we played well enough in the first hour to do so, but we lost.

"We have to make sure that when we're on top we take our chances, otherwise we will pay the price."

Keeper Andy Collett agrees with Tait. "I want to finish the season on a high," he said. "Second bottom is no good to me.

"We need to be more ruthless in both defence and attack and get three good results between now and the end of the season.

"Finishing well will give everybody a boost and a good basis to start next season with."

The management's biggest problem today will be to work out who is suffering most from fatigue.

Manager Gary Bennett said: "Some of the players are suffering from playing two games per week over the last couple of months.

"I took Glenn Naylor off at Torquay because he is physically and mentally drained.

"Alex Jeannin admitted to me that he didn't have the best of games at Torquay because he isn't used to playing so many games in a short space of time.

"But I'm sure whoever comes in will do well, just as they have done all season.

"We haven't deserved to lose our last three matches.

"We did well at Brighton, and matched them for virtually all of the game.

"We gave away two silly goals against Hull and created enough chances to draw level.

"On Tuesday night we had enough chances to win the game by half-time."

Out of the reckoning today is striker Kirk Jackson, who starts a three-game suspension for his dismissal in the reserves at Scunthorpe a fortnight ago.

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