Points are all that matter to Quakers as victory keeps play-off hopes alive

Chester City were not up to much either as two out of form sides huffed and puffed their way through a turgid match which only livened up in the second half.

It took a red card, shown to Clark Keltie for violent conduct, to inject some zest into the contest and the dismissal succeeded in raising the tempo.

Ten-man Quakers began to create scoring chances and Shelton Martis' header from a corner with 15 minutes to play rewarded manager David Hodgson for sticking with two men up front despite Keltie's dismissal.

Although the match was not pretty, at least it delivered an outcome that protects Quakers' hopes of finishing in the top seven.

Having claimed it was win or bust, Hodgson wants a six-point haul from two matches and now that part one of his target is complete top-of-the-table Carlisle United come to town on Saturday.

It will be deja vu for Darlington because, to keep play-off hopes alive, this game is another 'must win'.

Bristol Rovers and Wrexham sandwich Darlington, now in tenth place, and both have fixtures in midweek so, by the time Carlisle visit, Hodgson's side will be clearer about what they need to do over the last ten games.

But one thing is certain, if Quakers are to reach the play-offs then they need to rewrite the record books. Since the current play-off format was introduced in 1988/89, no team on less than 50 points with ten games to play has finished in the top seven - Darlington are on 49.

Ignoring three Division Four seasons in the early 1990s, when League Two was contested by two less teams and had a more sensible name, 69 points has always been the minimum requirement for a top-seven finish.

With only three exceptions, every top seven side since 1989 has been on at least 52 points at this stage with Cambridge United (1990), Hereford United (1996) and Hartlepool United (2002) managing it despite being on 50.

Cambridge won seven of the last ten, Hereford won eight - before losing to Quakers in the 1996 play-offs - while Hartlepool won six, Darlington are going to have to do something similar if they are to reach at least 69 points.

Beating Carlisle would be a great start, though Quakers must up their game against the Cumbrians. Assistant manager Mark Proctor and Hodgson watched their 3-0 win at Northampton on Friday and remain optimistic.

Proctor said: "We are not being dismissive of Carlisle but we saw enough of them to think we could get something next week.

"It was not as convincing as the score suggests, Northampton had the better chances but did not take them, whereas Carlisle did.

"Hopefully we have now stopped that dreadful run we have been on of late. Maybe it has set us up for a nice little run for the end of the season. Now we need to build on beating Chester."

That Darlington's Labour MP Alan Milburn was watching from the directors' box was quite appropriate given that, like his party's leader, Quakers were all style and no substance.

Darlington laboured through the first half.

Plenty of short, pretty passes in patient build-ups promised much but delivered little as both sides went through the motions, although Quakers created the better chances.

Debutant Jemal Johnson, on loan from Blackburn, was a real livewire. He has electric pace and in the first half the 20-year-old used it to beat the offside trap, but Chester's keeper smothered his free shot at goal.

Andy Cooke also spurned four half-chances, the best a header from an angle which went into the side-netting after a cross from Adrian Webster, back in the team on the left of a midfield diamond which was headed by Anthony Peacock.

But despite four changes to the starting XI, nothing much improved from the previous home game, the defeat to Shrewsbury. Supporters were not impressed and neither was Proctor.

"The performance was very poor but we are realistic enough to know that we are at a vital stage so we are delighted to get three points. We were scruffy, it was flat but we did just enough," he said.

"It looked like there was a lot of tension about in the players and in the crowd which is understandable because we had to win.

"Had we not won today the play-offs would have been some distance away.

"Keltie's red card was the catalyst for us, it galvanised us and you have to give the lads credit for playing for 40 minutes with only ten men.

"The players deserved to win for their effort alone."

Keltie saw red for the second time this season for decking Ryan Lowe in retaliation with an outstretched right hand after the Chester striker made a late challenge.

But, as is often the case in football, going down to ten men invigorated Darlington and with Neil Wainwright on as substitute for Peacock Quakers switched to 4-3-2 and began looking for the points.

Had Johnson not delayed a pass in the penalty area Cooke would have been through on goal and it was emblematic of their first match together as the front pair did not link up well.

Eventually Martis came up from the back for a corner and showed the front pair how to do it, heading home Wainwright's corner with 15 minutes to play.

It was a signal to Chester to crawl out of their defensive shell with Greg Blundell firing a good chance wide seconds after Martis' strike and Ben Davis causing problems.

Johnson was Darlington's fifth debutant in six games, their 34th different player this season, and he should have capped his day with a goal late on but instead saw a chip saved when one-on-one with the keeper before a defender cleared the rebound.

A second goal would have been harsh on Chester who kept pressing, but the home defence stood firm, meaning Sam Russell was rarely tested.

The result means Darlington have lost only two of the six games in which they have had a man sent off this season. Though trying that tactic against in-form leaders Carlisle would not be advisable