DARLINGTON can put their relegation worries to one side today when they play at Barnet in the FA Cup, a competition that their manager knows all about.

League Two may be a experience for Steve Staunton but he is well-versed in the glories of a competition that he won soon after making his bow in the Liverpool team.

His first run at Anfield under Kenny Dalglish came in March 1989 and just two months later he had collected an FA Cup winners’ medal at Wembley after playing in one of the greatest finals.

The dramatic 3-2 win over Everton, in which Ian Rush scored twice in extra-time, was Staunton’s only third appearances in the famous knockout competition.

He had dispossessed previous first-choice left-back David Burrows in time for the all-Merseyside final which came following the Hillsborough tragedy at the semifinal.

“The two of us were swapping and changing,” remembers Staunton. “Kenny was giving us three or four games at a time then Buggsy ended up playing in midfield with me left-back. And for the bigger games Kenny picked me ahead of him.

“We put pressure on ourselves to win the final because of what happened at Hillsborough.

We knew we had to win it for our supporters. There was added pressure from within our dressing room, we knew what it meant to the club and the fans.

“It was a wonderful atmosphere that day. It was in the days when Liverpool and Everton supporters stood side by side.

“It was a pity we couldn’t win over 90 minutes, we did it in extra-time instead but it was a magical day.

“It’s fantastic to win, like any trophy. It’s a wonderful honour, an achievement. Over the past few years the big clubs have been starting to again put out their better players because winning trophies is what it’s all about.

Yes, developing players is important, but most important is winning trophies and the fans know what.”

Darlington may not win a trophy this season but avoiding relegation would represent its own form of success after winning one of their first 15 matches.

“Any sort of win would do,”

said Staunton whose side also visited Barnet two weeks ago for what turned out to be a tempestuous league game.

“We feel as though we’re progressing, we just need to show that progression in our results. If it means having a cup run then that would be a bonus.

“The players are looking stronger and fitter. We’ve worked hard in training on everything. When myself and Kevin Richardson came in we knew we were conceding too many goals and not scoring enough so we’ve had to work on both ends of the park.

“I can’t fault the lads because they have given me everything on the training ground. They have worked very hard and in the games we have created scoring chances, which is encouraging.

“It is disappointing to concede the goals that we have, we just have to get that belief into our play and hopefully that will start on Saturday.”

The 3-0 loss at Barnet may only have featured two bookings for each side but an element of tension ran throughout.

Jamie Chandler and David Davis were both on the receiving end of rash challenges, while Barnet believed Quakers striker James Collins should have been sent off for a foul on Gary Breen.

Defender Ian Miller suffered concussion in a challenge with combative Barnet striker Paul Furling so had to be substituted on 29 minutes.

He still has not fully recovered so his place is again taken by Matty Plummer.

Staunton insists there will not be any personal vendettas today: “I’m not getting into that, that’s rubbish. Football is a man’s game, physical contact happens and there is too much made of any physical contact now in football, which is rubbish as far as I am concerned.

“You take a tackle or a hit like a man. It will be a tough game but the only score to settle will be the 3-0 defeat.”