After suffering the indignity of a 5-0 drubbing at home to Carlisle last Saturday, Darlington manager David Hodgson has spent this week trying to gee up his morale-sapped squad.

A game billed as Darlington's biggest of the season turned into a nightmare seven days ago, confirming to many fans that League Two football will be on the menu again next season.

Hodgson begs to differ, insisting that, with Quakers seven points outside a play-off place with nine games remaining, a top-seven finish is still "mathematically possible".

Those sentiments hold little sway with those fans who beklieve the season has long been over.

But, ahead of today's clash in north London with Barnet, Hodgson's never-say-die attitude has had a refreshing effect on his beleaguered players at least.

"We've picked ourselves up dramatically this week," said skipper Matt Clarke. "When we came in on Monday everybody was disappointed, but the gaffer has been fantastic this week and lifted all of us.

"The tempo has been very high in training and everyone is feeling positive now.

"We've had some very good days this week, so hopefully Saturday will be a good match and we can get something out of it."

On 49 points, Quakers are still some distance from the minimum 70 usually required to secure a play-off place. Not since the 1996/97 season, when Cardiff ended with 69 points, has a side finished below 70 and secured seventh spot.

For any improvement on last season's eighth-placed finish, recent history suggests Quakers would need to win seven of their remaining nine games.

Despite such daunting statistics, Clarke shares Hodgson's optimism, saying: "We always have to remain positive and until we can't make it anymore we will keep on fighting.

"It's an uphill task but we can still do it, even if it means having the best run of the season.

"We've just got to keep on going and hopefully that will be good enough."

On the back of last week's demoralising defeat, Clarke and co could be forgiven for being happy tobe away from home this afternoon.

However, Clarke would rather have an opportunity to set the record straight at the 96.6 TFM Darlington Arena.

Ironically, the last time Clarke was on the receiving end of a 5-0 defeat was as a Halifax player against Darlington in 2002, a game in which the defender was sent off.

"It's an away game and I'm not sure if that's a good thing," said Clarke. "I think the gaffer would have preferred it to be a home game to see our strength of character.

"But we'll go down there and hopefully get a good performance and bounce back with a win."

Quakers travelled down to the capital yesterday with deadline-day signings James Beaumont and Taiwo Atieno included in the squad.

Despite their availability, Hodgson is reluctant to make wholesale changes after watching his side more than match Carlisle in the opening 45 minutes last week.

"I know and the players know that Carlisle weren't five goals better than us," said Hodgson. "It did hurt us at the time, but all we're concentrating on now is beating Barnet."

Hodgson is expected to draft Joe Kendrick in at right-back after the Irishman recovered from a groin injury. Kendrick will replace Robbie Stockdale, who returned to Hull City on Thursday.

Quakers are also without suspended midfielder Clark Keltie as they look to complete only their second double of the season.

Goals from Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu and Simon Johnson helped Quakers to a 2-1 win over the Bees in December.

Tresor Kandol was in the Darlington side that night, but the forward will line up for Barnet this afternoon.

The controversial striker was sent back to Dagenham & Redbridge in January after Hodgson pulled out of a deal to sign the 24-year-old on a permanent basis.

Kandol scored two goals in seven appearances for Quakers, but it was his failure to turn up for a training session shortly after joining the club on loan, which set the tone for an ill-fated spell in the North-East.

In February, the forward completed a £50,000 move to Barnet, where he has so far netted three goals in just five starts.

Kandol has missed Barnet's last two games with an ankle injury, but the former Luton striker will be fit to face Quakers.

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