Darlington manager Gary Bennett is hoping to turn Feethams into a fortress and keep the club on the winning track at home to York City today.

Quakers lifted everybody's spirits with a battling but deserved home win over Plymouth on Tuesday, which stretched their unbeaten run in the league to four games and put them fifth in the inaugral Third Division table.

And if results go their way, the Quakers could find themselves top of the table tonight, a situation which the fans thought was out of the question less than a month ago after the summer of upheaval.

"There have been a lot of pluses in the first few games of the season," said Bennett.

"We gave everybody a taste on Tuesday of what we are like now, so it's up to us to play our best and encourage the fans to keep coming. The fans were a big help on Tuesday night, so I hope we can give them another win.

"I want Feethams to be a fortress, where we win every game, and teams won't like coming here.

"We're starting to get there and we're starting to gel. I said that it would take about six games before we started clicking together.

"Our start to the season has been excellent, with eight points from four matches. Four points from two away games isn't bad, considering that some teams may struggle to win away from home.

"Think about, for example, the teams who haven't won yet. The longer that goes on, the harder it gets for them. At least we've overcome those hurdles.

"And if we beat York, then that's nine points inside a week, and that should send shudders through the division."

Bennett is delighted with the all-round performances of his team.

"I have told the players that they must get into good habits. Keeping a clean sheet, winning games, not getting beaten are all good habits.

"Counting the games at Scarborough, we are now unbeaten in seven matches - that is a good habit, which hopefully will come naturally.

"The lads have set themselves standards which they must maintain. I'm asking a lot of them, but what they do put in, will earn rewards.

"I have always said that if the players give me 100 per cent, then we won't be far away. We have been comfortable in the games we've played, and no opposing team has hurt us or has given us the run around.

"Everybody is playing for each other, and that's something they must continue."

Skipper Martin Gray echoed Bennett's sentiments and saluted the victory over Plymouth as he said: "The win meant a lot to everybody, because we had played for all the half with just ten men and were up against it.

"But we were solid all the way through, and defended brilliantly right through the team.

"A lot of it was down to teamwork, because everybody worked hard. The spirit was excellent, but it always has been good - it's never changed from a year ago.

"People are believing in themselves, and we've responded in the best way we could have done after what happened during the summer.

"Everybody is pulling in the same direction.

"Things are going well at the moment, but we must keep it going."

Bennett might have to make changes today as Neil Aspin will have a fitness test on a back injury, while his possible replacement, Christophe Raymond, has a hamstring injury, so Paul Heckingbottom or Adam Reed might have to play in the centre of defence.

York, who ended their poor start to the season with a late win over Barnet on Monday, will include former Darlington striker Peter Duffield, who moved to Bootham Crescent during the summer after scoring 13 goals for Quakers last season. He has already scored twice this season.

l Gary Hamilton, rapidly emerging as the new goal-scoring hero for Northern Ireland Under-21s, struck to save Roy Millar's side from total humiliation with a 1-1 draw with Malta.

Malta were on course for a shock win in the European Championship qualifier at the Oval after Maltese striker Michael Galea scored with a breakaway goal. But cometh the hour cometh the man and in the 61st minute Hamilton salvaged a draw with a sweet strike