Darlington skipper Martin Gray believes that a psychological barrier has been overcome as Quakers head for Blackpool today.

Quakers' confidence visibly improved last week as they beat Sudbury 6-1 in the first round of the Cup, and Gray thinks the players can continue that form in the league.

Quakers lie 17th in the table, two places behind today's opponents and eight points behind the play-off spots.

But more worryingly, a run of six league games without a win has seen them slip to eight points off the bottom of the table.

"I'm hoping the Sudbury game was the turning point of the season," said Gray. "Maybe a barrier has been overcome, because we were lacking in confidence in front of goal. You could see the confidence improving in the team last Saturday in the second half.

"Maybe the opposition wasn't from the Third Division but there were still some well-created goals, one or two from moves which we've been working on throughout the season.

"We did a very professional job last week, because it could have been so easy to come unstuck against Sudbury if we had taken the game for granted.

"We must continue that at Blackpool, by making sure we don't give away any goals and by taking our chances."

Quakers have conceded the first goal in their last seven league and cup matches, and Gray said: "We've trained every day instead of having a day off in the middle of the week.

"We've worked hard on keeping our shape and a few other things, which will keep people on their toes."

And Gray has targeted a good run of results to take Quakers towards the Christmas and New Year programme.

"We want to try and climb the league before Christmas," he said. "You can have a good idea at Christmas where you're going to finish the season.

"We want to be in the chasing pack about then, because if we're not, then we're going to need a very good run in the last few months of the season.

"Once the goals go in, then it takes the pressure off a little bit and the football comes out. We showed that last week, even considering the fact that we were up against a non-league club.

"The players must keep doing what they're good at. I had a word with one or two last week during the game when things weren't going well, and told them just to keep working hard and doing the same things."

Manager Gary Bennett is hoping to sign 18-year-old striker Adam Marsh from Worksop on Monday.

Marsh scored twice for the reserves in midweek and Bennett said: "He's coming for talks about signing for us.

"He's only a young lad who's got pace and plenty of potential."

Marsh isn't on contract at Worksop, which means Quakers don't need to pay a fee to the UniBond League club.

Like Bennett, Blackpool boss Steve McMahon is also having a mixed season. After a poor start, a good run of results earned him the Manager of the Month award for October, but his side then suffered a home defeat by Shrewsbury, then a 7-0 trouncing at Barnet - their worst defeat in the league since they were thrashed 9-2 at Middlesbrough 62 years ago.

This will be Quakers' first visit to Bloomfield Road since the promotion season of 1990-91, when they won both in the League Cup and the league. There are only two sides of the ground open today.

l Former Darlington striker Lee Nogan is in line for a quick return to Feethams after signing on a month's loan for Second Division Luton Town. As he had left Feethams before last Saturday's FA Cup win over Sudbury, he will be free to play against his old club in the FA Cup in a fortnight's time.

It is also understood that Luton boss Lil Fuccillo is trying to bring in another former Darlington player, Neil Heaney, from Dundee United. Heaney hasn't figured for the Scots since his summer move.

l Darlington's Youth Alliance home game this morning with Doncaster, scheduled to be played at Eastbourne, has been switched to Doncaster