Quakers boss warns this isn’t the time to take their foot off the gas

DARLINGTON manager Steve Watson has warned his players not to rest on their laurels after they broke out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Blyth Spartans in midweek.

The Quakers will now look to further boost their survival hopes with a home win against Peterborough Sports later today.

Ahead of the game, Watson said: “When we have bad spells, you can see them dropping back in and getting back into that habit of dropping deep – but that’s not how we will get out of this. Hopefully that (win at Blyth) has given them another massive boost in confidence.”

Darlington will be without Ben Liddle and Jonny Ngandu and striker Andrew Nelson is a doubt with a hamstring injury.

Spennymoor Town defender Ben Pollock has insisted his side won’t get carried away by their run of form. Last weekend’s home win against Darlington meant the Moors are now on a seven-game unbeaten run and lie just six points shy of the play-offs ahead of today’s visit to a Cuzon Ashton side sitting in the top seven.

Pollock has urged his team-mates to focus on what lies ahead of them.

He told Moors TV: “We’ve just got to get our heads down, take each game as it comes, as cliche as that is, and just keep trying to win games.”

Jon Lufudu will miss out for the Moors as he serves a two-game suspension and Lebrun Mbeka will be assessed after he suffered an injury in last weekend’s win over Darlington.

Elliott Dickman believes South Shields are ‘in a good place’ as they eye a late push for the play-offs ahead of their visit to old foes Buxton.

The Mariners claimed a last-ditch win against Chorley in midweek as on-loan Newcastle United youngster Dylan Stephenson delivered the decisive blow eight minutes into second-half injury-time to give his side a 2-1 victory. That also kept Dickman’s side five points adrift of the play-offs and the Mariners interim boss has insisted his side can push on from three points on home soil. He told Mariners TV: “We have to keep that grit and determination and the desire to keep going no matter what.”

Blyth Spartans manager Jon Shaw expects to be without on-loan Heed youngster Ollie Thompson for today’s trip to Southport. He has been on the sidelines for just under a month and is working to return to fitness.