Liam Hatch is a surprise absentee from the line Darlington line-up that features four changes for today’s FA Trophy tie at Grimsby Town.

Caretaker manager Crag Liddle says that Hatch is ill so is unable to play at Blundell Park where Quakers bid to retread the road to Wembley.

They won the final against Mansfield Town seven months ago, but only four of that starting line-up are in the XI today: Aaron Brown, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, Sam Russell and Ian Miller.

Brown returns after injury while Bridge-Wilkinson missed Tuesday’s 0-0 draw at Kettering due to a one-man batch.

As well as Brown and Bridge-Wilkinson, also recalled today are Adam Reach, Kris Taylor and youth team defender Scott Harrison.

Harrison plays having played the full 90 minutes of the under-18s’ FA Youth Cup defeat to Newcastle United on Thursday and his inclusion suggest that centre-back Graeme Lee will again be used as a striker in the absence of Hatch.

Harrison is joined in the squad by fellow youth team players Rob Ramshaw and Jordan Nixon, who both played on Thursday and are on the bench today, as well as Dale Hopson.

A suspension keeps Paul Arnison out of the reckoning while Jamie Chandler and Ryan Bowman are injured.

Grimsby Town (4-4-2): McKeown; Wood, Antwi, I’Anson, Townsend; Coulson, Disley, Panther, McCarthy; Hearn, Elding. Subs: Silk, Artus, Duffy, Pearson, Thanoj

Darlington (4-4-1-1): Russell; Taylor, Miller, Harrison, Brown; Rundle, McReady, Bridge-Wilkinson, Reach; Hopson; Lee. Subs: Nixon (gk), Atkinson, Ramshaw, Sanchez-Munoz, J Gray