Darlington are hoping to put their Christmas problems behind them when they take on Exeter at St James' Park today.

Quakers couldn't have produced two more contrasting performances in their last two games. They played some of their best football of the season against Lincoln last Saturday, but they plumbed the depths when losing 2-0 at league leaders Chesterfield on Boxing Day.

The recent form of the two teams suggests that today's game will not be an epic. Second-bottom Exeter have picked up just one point from their last eight matches, while Quakers have collected just six over the same period.

But manager Gary Bennett - who has been given "one million per cent backing" by chairman George Reynolds, believes the players will bounce back and win only their second away game in the league this season. Their last away league win was in August at Southend.

"The players will be more committed than they were on Tuesday," he said.

"That game maybe showed the difference between a team in our position and one at the top of the league.

"That's why some of the players are at this club. We have several who you know can produce good performances five or six times out of six, but we have other players who can maybe give us two or three good games out of six.

"You can't get away with only five or six players performing well at a time at this level.

"Maybe I'm asking for more than some players are capable of, but I can't bring players in yet, so I have to make do with what I've got. I would love to bring players in who I can trust to do a job, but at the moment, I can't.

"But considering the problems we've had with the squad this season, in the circumstances I think the players have done really well. Some would have buckled, but they've rolled their sleeves up and battled.

"The players weren't happy with their display on Tuesday and they want to put it right today."

Bennett was the subject of strong criticism from the travelling fans at Chesterfield on Tuesday, and he said: "I can understand why the fans are frustrated and calling for my head, but there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than what they see on the pitch.

"John Williams, for example, had both toe and hamstring injuries when he played against Chesterfield. If I had kept him on for more than an hour and his hamstring went altogether, then he might have been out for three or four games. I'm not doing anybody justice by leaving him on.

"It was the same with Paul Heckingbottom. I wanted to play him on Tuesday, but again, if he aggravated his injury, then he might have been out for a while.

"I haven't got three or four players for one position. I could play Glenn Naylor at left back, but he's not the answer.

"We don't have much flexibility. If say Paul is missing again today, then our preparation goes out of the window again. But we still have to get on with it."

And Bennett will be hoping to avoid more injuries today. The players will have only a day to overcome the effects of a 750 mile round trip before Rochdale, the best away team in the division, come to Feethams on Monday.

If Darlington are having a bad time at the moment, then so are Exeter. They lost eight games on the trot before they drew with Torquay on Boxing Day, scoring their first goal in over eight hours in the process, a run which has seen them slip to second bottom. They have won just once at home this season.

Under-pressure manager Noel Blake has wielded the axe in recent games, and even put himself on the bench against Torquay.

*Quakers have arranged to play their LDV Vans Trophy game against York City on Tuesday January 9, kick off 7.45.

*Quakers take on West Auckland in the Albany Durham Challenge Cup at Feethams on Wednesday, kick off 7.30

The match looks likely to go ahead, despite all the postponements aroundthe country.An Exeter spokesman said: "There has been a little bit of frost, but thepitch is soft underneath. We've spoken to the referee by phone and told himabout the conditions, and he's happy."