Darlington expect to finally resume their interrupted season having been assured they will play this evening when they travel to Rotherham United.
Saturday’s home match with Aldershot was unexpectedly called off due to a waterlogged pitch, so tonight Quakers return to action at the Don Valley Stadium.
Ironically they face the only other club to have been out of action for so long.
Six consecutive postponements mean Quakers have not had a match since December 12, the same day the promotion- chasing Millers last played.
Their match at Accrington on Saturday was called off, after which Rotherham chairman Tony Stewart said: “It was so disappointing when news came through that Accrington’s pitch was waterlogged.
“I said that we had to pull out all the stops at Don Valley Stadium to make sure the pitch is right and that we can play on Tuesday.’’ All six of the players signed by Darlington manager Steve Staunton are in line to make their debut this evening - as they were on Saturday - though it is unlikely all will be in the starting line-up.
Simon Madden, Alan White, Gary Dempsey, Gareth Waite, Patrick Deane and Tadhg Purcell are in Staunton’s plans as he attempts to spark a revival.
None of the new arrivals are on short-term loans which is what most of Staunton’s signings were before the enforced winter break, but the manager now intends to avoid such deals for the remainder of the season unless necessary.
“Once you’ve got a settled squad you’ve got a chance, no matter what division you’re in,” he said.
“Because then everybody knows their job, they know what their team-mates can do and as you club the table you can add a little bit more quality.
“We haven’t had that fortunate position yet. It’s well documented that we had three players at the start of the season, the club had to get a number of players and threw bodies together. We’ve been playing catch-up ever since.
“My job is not only keep us in the league, but to try and get a settled squad and once we do that we’ve got a better chance of progressing as a football club.”
Purcell has been brought in from Shamrock Rovers where he was deployed as a winger, but he has previously played as a striker which is where Staunton intends to use the 24-year-old.
“Just looking at the table you can see that scoring goals has been a problem and hopefully I can help out in that respect,”
said Purcell.
“Also I want to help the team, strikers are not just about scoring goals. We have been conceding too many and strikers have to help defend from the front.’’ Bottom of the table Darlington are 17 points off safety following third-bottom Lincoln’s win at the weekend.
Quakers are yet to win on their travels this season while Rotherham boast the only unbeaten home record in League Two.
But Millers manager Ronnie Moore admits Quakers’ recent lack of games has made scouting difficult. He said: “Darlington have had similar problems and I don’t think they’ve played since December 12 either so it should be interesting because I don’t know a great deal about them and I don’t imagine they know much about us either.
“I think the last time they played they lost 5-0 to Torquay but we haven’t had them watched so we don’t know much about them.”
While Darlington are at Rotherham this evening, a youthful Quakers XI will play a friendly at Billingham Town (7.30pm).
Darlington (probable): Liversedge, Madden, White, Miller, Giddings, Convery, Dempsey, Waite, J Smith, Purcell, Thorpe.
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