Quakers ready for first league game of 2016

By Ray Simpson

Quakers ready for first league game of 2016

Darlington make the trip to Yorkshire on Saturday, looking to play their first game of 2016.The Quak...

Darlington make the trip to Yorkshire on Saturday, looking to play their first game of 2016.

The Quakers fixture last weekend at home to Matlock Town was cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch at Heritage Park. However, the side were able to complete a friendly with Guisborough Town at Longfield Road on the 3G surface. The game finished 1-1 with Stephen Thompson scoring the Darlington goal.

Manager Martin Gray said; "We're really looking forward to the game, we can't wait to get back into action." Nathan Cartman, Lee Gaskell and Chris Hunter who all missed last week's friendly, are all included in the squad.

Frickley’s game last weekend at home to Buxton was also postponed due to the weather. They currently sit in 14th place in the league table, but from their last seven league games they have won only once.

Frickley's recent games:

January 9th postponed v Buxton

January 2nd v Rushall Olympic (home) lost 0-2

Team Sebastian Malkowski, Tom Davie, Steve Jeff, Luke Hornsey, John Cryus, Macaulay Parkinson, Tyler Williams, Grant Ryan, Jacob Hazel, Chris Wood, Brad Grayson (Sam Akeroyd 64 mins). Unused subs. Lee Stratford, Karl Rose, Jon Hood.

December 28th v Whitby (away) drew 1-1 Hazel

December 26th v Grantham (home) won 3-1 Hazel 3

December 19th  Halesowen (away) drew 1-1 Grayson

 

Last season they finished in 19th place in the league, just one point above the relegation zone. In the 2013/14 season they ended the campaign in one of the relegation places, but were given a reprieve.

The sides have already met twice this season, with the Quakers coming out on top on both occasions. Darlington were 3-0 winners at Heritage Park in the first week of the season, when goals from Tom Portas, Nathan Cartman and Kevin Burgess secured victory.

Last time We Met

Darlington 3 Frickley 0

Quakers bounced back in style against Frickley in our first home game in the EvoStik Premier Division.

We lost our first game at Buxton the previous Saturday, but we produced some superb football in a thriller.

We took the lead when Nathan Cartman opened up the Frickley defence beautifully for Tom Portas to crash the ball home, and then Cartman beat the offside trap and volleyed the second after Stephen Thompson flicked on a Portas pass.

Frickley had their chances in a really good game, but they were finished off when skipper Kevin Burgess swept the ball home from a corner near the end.

Darlington: Jameson, Gibbons, Galbraith, Portas, Burgess (sub Watson 85), Hunter, Mitchell, Turnbull, Armstrong (sub Alan White 72), Cartman, Thompson (sub Scott 73).

Subs not used: Provett, Tom White.

 

 

The pair also met in the League Cup at Frickley when a double from Gary Brown and a goal from David Dowson helped Darlington to a 3-2 win.

Darlington are also in action on Tuesday night when the side host Whitby Town in a league fixture.

Kick-off on Saturday is 3pm, updates will be made from the club’s Facebook, Twitter and phone app, and there will be a match report on the club's official website.