DARLINGTON manager Alun Armstrong wants all of his players “to step up” when they go to Blyth Spartans for tomorrow's Good Friday showdown.

Quakers have picked up just two points out of the last 12 available to drop them into sixth place in the table, only just ahead of the chasing pack of Alfreton, Gloucester, Chorley and Buxton, with Scarborough having overtaken them in midweek.

The pressure to hold on to a play-off place seems to have got to Quakers in recent games , and Armstrong, who took Blyth into the play-offs four seasons ago, said: "These weekend games are massively important, and there’s no getting away from the fact that we need six points from them.

"We want to stay in the play-offs. We seem to be in a little bit of a rut at the moment, and we’re up against two teams who are fighting for their lives. We’ve got to show as much fight and determination as the other team and try and get the points.

"The lads know they weren’t anywhere near what they’re capable of last Saturday against Chester. It’s not an excuse, but when you’ve travelled 900 miles in a week to play three matches on heavy pitches, then the Chester game was very flat.

"I didn’t think there was anything in it. We didn’t manage to create anywhere near enough that was needed. If we were fresher, we would have been a lot better.

"We need to pick ourselves up and get out of this. We need everyone to step up. The lads must show the determination, hunger and desire which we know is in that group.

"Only the lads can get us out of this. We can put on sessions and work with them and to give them that confidence, but it’s got to come from within.

"The lads are hurting at the moment because there’s a lot of rubbish on social media that’s affecting them.

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"It can affect them in a negative or a positive way. These lads are fighting for everything at the moment, they don’t want the season to fizzle out."

Armstrong’s team selection has been limited by injuries in each of the last three matches.

Jarrett Rivers went off injured soon after half-time at Kettering - but could be back tomorrow - and he was joined on the injured list at Banbury three days later by Ben Liddle, who scored the winner in the reverse game against Blyth.

Then, last Saturday, Kallum Griffiths came back into the line-up after being out for a month, but pulled up injured after 20 minutes against Chester. Jack Lambert has been out for a month already, but could be back before the Curzon Ashton home game on April 18.

Defender Jake Cooper is also serving a one-match ban for his two yellow cards in the goalless draw at Banbury.

"In each of the last three games we've picked up an injury which has affected the way we want to play, and it cost us last Saturday’s game unfortunately. We kept Kallum fresh to deal with Chester’s pace, but then he pulled up with an injury.

"Hopefully, Jarrett can come back and make a difference. We need his ball running skills and pace in the team."

Blyth, meanwhile, have a relegation fight on their hands. They changed managers after they lost at Blackwell Meadows earlier in the season, replacing Terry Mitchell with former South Shields boss Graham Fenton, and a fortnight ago they pulled off one of the shocks of the season by winning 3-0 at league leaders Fylde.

They also drew 0-0 at Banbury last week, which means they have picked up more points away from Croft Park this season (22) than at home (20).