FORMER Darlington favourite Neil Wainwright has expressed sympathy for his former club’s plight and hopes they win their battle against relegation.

The 32-year-old played his part in Quakers’ latest defeat, Saturday’s 2-0 reverse at Morecambe.

He became a fans’ favourite at Darlington due to his wholehearted dedication in almost 300 appearances over two spells before joining the Shrimps in 2008.

“I still think of them as my club,” said the winger. “It’s not nice to see them down there at the bottom of the table but I still look out for their results.

“I know Alan White and Ian Miller, plus a few others, like Curtis Main, Dan Riley and Josh Gray. I know Nathan Mulligan too, as he was on trial at Darlington a few years ago. Initially it was a surprise when they went into administration last year but when you look at it properly it makes sense. That’s easy to say in hindsight.

“It’s been good to see their results pick up a bit lately, apart from today obviously, and hopefully they’ll be able to climb out of trouble at the bottom.”

Wainwright received warm applause from the visiting fans when he was replaced in the latter stages on Saturday.

He added: “It was great to see them clapping me. I’ve got fond memories of the club and one of the main reasons for that is the fans’ support during my time there.”

Meanwhile, Darlington manager Steve Staunton has explained his reasons for substituting teenage striker Curtis Main midway through the first half on Saturday.

The youngster appeared stunned when his number was held up on 29 minutes, as Staunton replaced Main in the forward line with Patrick Deane.

“I’ve had a word with him because it’s not good enough,” said Staunton.

“He’s a 17-year-old boy and he’s not helping the team, he’s not running. I’ve told him that he needs to give more for the team.

“It’s a harsh lesson for him but he’s got to learn from it.”

Darlington’s League Two game at Cheltenham Town has been rearranged for Tuesday, April 20 (ko 7.45pm).

The fixture was originally scheduled for January 30 but was postponed due to a partly frozen pitch.

The date of the rearranged game means Quakers will have three away matches in eight days.

They go to Rochdale on Tuesday, April 13, then trek to Bournemouth on the Saturday, just three days before the Cheltenham fixture.