AFTER making his side watch a DVD of Darlington’s disappointing display against Mansfield Town, Mark Cooper is hoping for a big improvement when his side entertain Kettering Town tomorrow.

Tuesday’s draw stretched Quakers unbeaten run in the league to five, but Cooper was far from happy with the performance which was met with boos at the final whistle.

Cooper’s former side travel to The Northern Echo Arena on the back of two wins – and a third would take them above Quakers in the Blue Square Bet Premier table.

But the Quakers boss is keen to get one over his old club and hopes the re-run on Tuesday night’s performance will ignite a reaction.

“It wasn’t a good performance, especially the first half, the only good things were that we kept a clean sheet and didn’t lose our unbeaten run,” he said.

“Because of that, rather than being sat at home with their feet up, the players had a nice afternoon today watching a repeat of the game.

“Hopefully it will be embarrassing for them and make them realise that playing like that is unacceptable.

“Sometimes it’s good to show a DVD when you’ve played well, by the same token if you don’t do what you’re told then you’ll be shown that.

“I don’t expect them to play well in every game this season, but I do expect them to run about and put the effort in. If I asked a fan to play for Darlington on Saturday I know they would work hard and run about until they couldn’t run any more.

“There’s no excuse for not doing that but the other night there were one or two who didn’t.

The DVD simply does not lie. I’m not asking them to do anything that they cannot do.

“The first thing they have to do is compete and if you don’t do that in any game of football then you don’t win.”

Quakers are waiting on the fitness of Liam Hatch and Nathan Modest after the strikers were both taken off against Mansfield, while Cooper admitted midfielder Gary Smith is also a doubt.

Hatch required stitches after receiving a facial wound, and Cooper added: “It’ll be down to Hatchy whether or not he plays. You can guarantee that if he plays he will end up covered in blood. It was an awkward cut, a v-shape cut, underneath his eye.

“Nathan’s was more of an impact injury after he was booted on the side, but Gary Smith is the most doubtful with an injured knee.”

Cooper will make at least one change with Paul Arnison returning at right-back ahead of Greg Taylor, who is unavailable due to the terms of his recent transfer from Kettering.