DARLINGTON manager Steve Watson is hoping that that his players can increase the number of chances they are creating when they go to Marine this afternoon.

Quakers have kept the door well and truly closed at the back in their last four matches with four successive clean sheets, but they didn’t really trouble the Alfreton defence in a goalless draw on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, they are 16th with nine points from seven matches, while Marine are third bottom with five points from seven games.

“We would certainly love to keep another clean sheet, but there’s a lot of work to be done on chance creation, we’re still waiting for things to click,” said Watson.

“When Terry (Mitchell) and I first came to the club earlier this year, it took seven games for things to click, and it was only when we won 4-0 at South Shields that it started to click. This is our eighth game of the season, so it will be a timely thing to do on Saturday.

“We’re coming into this game on the back of a busy schedule. We’ve played Saturday, Monday, Saturday, Tuesday, and picked up eight points from those games. So if we pick two points every game, it’s where we want to be.”

Quakers hardy created anything against Alfreton, and Watson pointed out: “What Alfreton do with the ball isn’t unique, they load the box from everywhere. It’s what they do without the ball which is unique. A lot of teams are obsessed with pressing, but Alfreton aren’t. You have to move the ball quickly, and we didn’t.

“If we can move the ball quickly and get the ball into the box, then we know that we’ve got somebody in there who’s capable of outjumping everybody. We need to be a bit better on chance creation.

“It’s been a really tough start, but we’re not a million miles away. Apart from Scunthorpe, the league is there for somebody to put a really good strong run together and move up the table.”

The injury list has increased during the week, with defenders Ben Hedley and Elliot Forbes both going out injured the other night. Hedley is likely to miss today's game.

Midfielders Tom Platt and Joe Leesley are both still missing, but striker Cedric Main and defender Archie Small might be fit enough to go on the bench.

Watson, who has been trying to bring players in on loan, said: “Even players who we’re trying to get in are injured!”

Marine were promoted from the Northern Premier League last season. They had a good run in the FA Cup three years ago, which saw them play Spurs at an empty Rossett Park, but they sold around 10,000 virtual tickets. The TV money also helped them lay a 4G surface.

The clubs have played each four times before. In Quakers’ 2016 promotion season, Marine won at Heritage Park, but a Kevin Burgess goal gave Quakers victory in the return game.

They played each other in the Trophy the following season. After a 2-2 draw at Heritage Park, Marine won the replay 3-2.

Quakers have announced that their FA Cup second-qualifying round tie at West Didsbury and Chorlton next Saturday will be all ticket.