Lowly Darlington are looking to stretch their unbeaten run to four matches and climb closer to safety when bottom-of-the-table Bishop’s Stortford visit Blackwell Meadows on Saturday afternoon.
Quakers’ results have improved in recent weeks, with five points from their last three games – home draws against Warrington and Rushall Olympic and a victory against Gloucester last Saturday.
Gloucester have since gone back above them after beating Curzon Ashton in midweek, but nevertheless, Josh Gowling’s team are looking at fifth-bottom Rushall Olympic, who are five points ahead and have played two games more.
However, the virus which put defender Kallum Griffiths and striker Cameron Salkeld out of action last Saturday is hampering their plans, with Adriano Moke and one other unnamed player struggling.
Assistant manager Danny Rose said: “The lads are in a good place on the back of a good performance and a great result at Gloucester. The lads did everything that was asked of them. They stuck to the game-plan throughout the whole game, and they got their rewards.
“It was a difficult place to go and get a result. On the back of that, we’ve had a good week’s training, but the virus has carried on through the camp and there are a couple of players who haven’t trained as much as they would have liked.
“Ideally, we want to pick up home wins instead of draws. Performances over the last two home games warranted three points in each game, so if we can work on those little one per cents, that will allow us to go and get three points.”
The two clubs met in September, soon after Alun Armstrong left as manager. Senior players Will Hatfield, Tom Platt and Jake Lawlor were in charge, and they went down to a 1-0 defeat, which is one of only four victories that today’s visitors have enjoyed this season.
Rose added: “Bishop’s Stortford have got their threats, we’ve analysed them and shown them to our players, and hopefully we can exploit their weaknesses as well, this league is crazy, anyone can get a result on any given day. We must make sure that we are at our best to get a result.”
After today, Quakers have back-to-back games against Scarborough, before travelling to King’s Lynn on Saturday, January 7 and Southport on Tuesday, January 10.
“Every game is vitally important to us. We’re not setting a points target; we just want to come away with a win in every game,” said Rose.
“Like we said before the Gloucester game, we can only control what we are able to control, and that means our own performances, standards, habits and behaviours, “It’s been a long time since we’ve played at home, we want to start the game on the front foot and get after Bishop’s Stortford.”
Striker Andrew Nelson has finished his suspension so is back in the squad, as are striker Salkeld and defender Griffiths after illness. Jarrett Rivers will have a fitness test on a groin injury.
Quakers have rearranged their away game at Banbury for Tuesday, January 30, which means that they have seven games to be play in the first month of 2024.
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