AN UNBEATEN home record will count for little for Darlington today when their rivals from across the town come calling, aiming to make a mockery of the league table.

Mowden Park have enjoyed the higher league standing for the last decade, finishing above their neighbours during Darlington's first two seasons in National Three North.

But Darlington are currently fifth with 36 points and Mowden are 14 points adrift in 11th, although they have two games in hand.

It promises to be a forward battle as neither side's backs have set the world alight this season and both have struggled to kick goals.

That mantle passes to full back David Glendenning for Darlington unless Ben Snook comes in as a late replacement at fly half for skipper Paul Lee, who faces a fitness test.

Darlington have opted for a centre pairing of Apenai Kororua and Phil Dawson and also in the team for the first time this season is Kororua's fellow Catterick-based Fijian Joe Naga, who takes Alan Brown's place at No 8.

As Mowden field three Pacific Islanders, plus athletic flanker Eni Gisende, who has an African background, there is some potential for excitement if play opens up.

As there are no games for the next two weeks, Darlington's injured player-coach Craig Lee hopes to have himself, Brown, Martin Howe, Dan Miller and Rob Stewart fit on the resumption but sees this as a big chance for others to show what they can do.

"From our selection it looks as though the centres, Ben Snook and James Beattie, have carried the can for our thrashing at Blaydon last week," he said.

"But they were starved of the ball and we can't put the blame on them. Some others have to count themselves lucky that they have the chance to put things right.

"We haven't lost at home for over a year, but when we have travelled to play the top three teams this season we haven't done well. We have to look at that and find the reasons for it."

Lee feels Dawson, the 18-year-old Newcastle Academy player, is currently better suited to centre than the back row, where he wants to play.

"In the back row he's got 17st men running at him, so playing him in the centre gives him a bit of time to adjust to senior rugby. He's at a bit of a crossroads and will soon have to go one way or the other. But he's a very talented footballer with a big pass and we're hoping Koro can feed off him."

Mowden's powerful centre Matt Howland is having a cartilage operation, so Frenchman Roddy Gouionnet partners skipper Iain Dixon, despite suffering a hand injury in last week's home defeat by Hull Ionians.

Anthony Peck is fit to play at lock but there is a doubt about No 8 Matt Holmes, who has had flu and whose wife is due to give birth.

Darlington: D Glendenning, S Crozier, A Kororua, P Dawson, F Coulson, P Lee, D Andrew, J Oselton, R Goddard, P Shepherd, R Snowball, S Palmer, D Lewis, M Taylor, J Naga.

Mowden Park: S Atelemo, M Barker, I Dixon, R Gouionnet, F Tanginoa, J Booysen, S Richardson, I Keeligan, J Fagalilo, D Sinclair, A Peck, I Robinson, G Stainsby, E Gisende, M Holmes.

One of Mowden's pre-season targets, Dave Richardson, makes his comeback for Middlesbrough away to North One's bottom club Whitchurch.

He replaces unavailable fly half Neil Baggett while Pedro Salahshouri returns on the wing with Andy Micklewright switching to centre for Mark Featherstone.

Chris Palesci suffered a knee injury last week so skipper Iain Bradford moves to lock with Richie Barker returning at No 8.

Durham City are giving two of their regular forwards, Darren McKinnon and Kevin Showler, a rest but have named them on the bench for the North Two East match at Hartlepool Rovers.

Stuart Smithson comes in at lock and there is a first senior start of the season at blind-side for Charlie Sammut, a student who is a regular trainer and a good club man.

Ralph Smith is unavailable, so Will Rubie switches to full back with Chris Mattison returning on the wing.

It has yet to be decided whether City will get the points following Sandal's failure to raise a side last week, but the match has been provisionally pencilled in for January 14.

West Hartlepool have flanker Jon Boatman back for the visit of Percy Park, but either he or his brother, Dan, might have to make way at some stage for the highly-rated 18-year-old Aaron Myers, who is on the bench.

l Newcastle Falcons will be using tomorrow's return fixture against L'Aquila in the European Challenge Cup to step up their preparations for the crucial Guinness Premiership match at Leeds on December 27.

They are not expecting it to be as easy as in last week's 86-0 win away to the Italian club, with forwards coach Peter Walton saying: "They ran the Borders very close - ask them if Italian club rugby is too weak.

"People might question the standard of the opposition but I thought we played an outstanding game last week. We went into it with the attitude we had to build on things before we face Leeds.

"The biggest positive was Stuart Grimes' return to fitness and form. He needs a few games but he really looked the part and Owen Finegan contributed a lot more than in previous games.

"We have to do a professional job, not lower our intensity at all, and set our stall out for Leeds."

Grimes, who has won 71 caps for Scotland, paid tribute to the youngster who has filled in during his absence with a pectoral muscle injury.

"Geoff Parling has been the form player in our pack," he said. "He has really stepped up, along with Andy Buist, in terms of young players coming through.

"It was a good game for me to return in last week. It was basically one-way traffic, but the key to that was that we were professional and blew them away in the first 20.

"They will know a lot more about us now and I will be amazed if the score is anything like it was in Italy. We feel that winning this competition is a realistic goal, but my aim is just to play well and help the Falcons compete with the top English clubs consistently."