DARLINGTON manager Alun Armstrong wants his players to put their home form right when Chorley come to Blackwell Meadows this afternoon.

Quakers go into the game having returned to the top of the league courtesy of an emphatic 5-2 win at Scarborough on Monday, which was their sixth successive league win on their travels.

Their away record of 26 points from 13 matches is the best in the league, but their home form of 21 points from 12 matches is only the eighth best. They lost 3-2 at home to Scarborough on Boxing Day, their third home league defeat this season.

Armstrong wants an improvement this afternoon against Chorley, who are ninth in the table, two points off the play-offs. They’re one of the five teams whom Quakers haven’t beaten this season away from home, the result at Victory Park being a 1-1 draw earlier in the season, when Mark Beck scored.

“We don’t fear anyone, we’re enjoying playing away from home, but our home form isn’t as good as our away form,” said Armstrong. “We’ve been playing some good football at home, but we’re not getting the results that we deserve at home. We’re letting in too many goals, that’s something we need to fix. I can’t fault the efforts of the lads, they put everything into games, as they’ve shown by recent results.

“It’s a little bit different at home. You probably attack a lot more, you’ve got the ball a little bit more, and are a little more expansive, which is why we’ve probably done so well away from home with our counter-attacking.

“Chorley is never an easy game, no games are in this league. You haven’t won a game until the final whistle blows. Chorley are a good team, who have been right up there in recent seasons and have got some good players.”

Quakers come into the game full of confidence after destroying Scarborough on Monday.

“I knew the lads would respond at Scarborough on Monday, because this is a different group with a different mentality," said Armstrong. "They were fuming on Boxing Day after working so hard to get back into the game and then to lose it in the way they did. The lads wanted to prove a point in abundance. They were really wound up with some of the responses on social media after Monday’s game, and wanted to prove certain people wrong.

“The front four on Monday were phenomenal, all of them were on their game. When they all do what they want to, they’re unplayable and difficult for opposing defenders to deal with. If our front four keep playing the way they are, hopefully we’ll get the result we want. “

Three of the front four have now hit double figures this season, with Beck scoring 18, Jacob Hazel 12 and Jack Lambert 14.

Lambert scored the pick of the bunch on Monday with a 25-yard free-kick that flew into the top corner to add to his impressive list this season that appears to be attracting admirers, and Armstrong said; “Jack has got that magic, he makes things happen. He put an unbelievable ball through for Haze to score the second goal on Monday, he unlocks doors from different avenues.

“He’s not going anywhere. I’m not bothered what anyone says, if he moves on, we can wave goodbye to any chance we have of reaching the play-offs.”

Armstrong revealed that Middlesbrough recalled right-back Dan Dodds soon after Quakers’ home defeat by Scarborough on Boxing Day – the loan was due to run until January 3. Boro are going to loan him out to a Football League club.

* Quakers have re-arranged their away game with Chorley for Tuesday, March 21 (7.45pm). The game was scheduled to take place next Saturday, but Quakers are playing in the FA Trophy at Southend.