We head to Alfreton Town on Saturday looking to carry on where we left off following last weekend’s brilliant 3-0 victory over Kidderminster Harriers. Goals from Stephen Thompson, Will Smith and Jordan Nicholson gave us our third win in four games and leaves us 14^th in the table going into this weekend. 

(Here are the highlights in case you missed them -- they're worth watching again just for Thommo's goal! https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/video-darlington-v-kidderminster-highlights)

Despite our turnaround in home form we haven’t won on the road since victory at FC United of Manchester in October, our only previous win this season away from Blackwell Meadows was at Brackley Town. 

Alfreton are level on points with ourselves, one place below us on goal difference. They have fallen down the table having made a good start to this campaign and go into Saturday’s fixture having not won in three games, with a 1-1 draw at Blyth Spartans last time out. They include our former striker Reece Styche, who has scored six goals for them since he moved to the Impact Arena.

Our meeting earlier on this season saw Alfreton come out on top at Blackwell Meadows 1-0 thanks to an early goal. 

Since we were promoted into the National North we have won two lost two and draw one of our meetings with Alfreton including our away game last season which finished 1-1. 

The game is one of only seven games in the league at the weekend with the latest round of the FA Trophy also taking place. Our opponents in the league next Saturday, Spennymoor, are playing Sutton United at the Brewery Field.

***advice from Alfreton

The game will be segregated, Quakers fans have been allocated the Alma Street entrance.

Directions :-

Leave M1 at J28. Take A38 towards Derby for 2 miles. Take B600 slip road. At T junction turn right towards town centre. At pedestrian crossing turn left into North Street and the ground is on the right hand side. Post code DE55 7FZ.

Admission prices:

£14 for each adult (aged 21 upwards)
£10 for each senior citizen (persons aged 65 and over)
£10 for age group 16 to 21
£10 for each student upon production of a valid student card at the turnstile on the day of the game
£2 for children aged 15 and under, provided that they are accompanied through the turnstile by a paying adult

You’ll be able to bet on the game, thanks to our partnership with FansBet. (you must be 18 or over)

You’ll also be able to follow the game on the official website, twitter and Darlo Fans Radio, with post match interviews and highlights on the club’s YouTube channel.

Stats pack

Darlington

League position:  14th

Away form:   Played 12, won 2, drawn 6, lost 4, goals for 22, goals conceded 29, points 12 out of 30

Team News:  Darlington manager Tommy Wright chooses from a full squad, Ben O’Hanlon has recovered from a hamstring injury.

Leading scorer:   Jordan Nicholson 9, Harvey Saunders 7, Andrew Nelson 6

Position in form table of last six matches:  6^th won 3, drawn 1 lost 2, goals for 15 against 12

Last six matches

January 5^th Kidderminster (home) won 3-0 Thompson, Nicholson, Smith

Maddison, Trotman, Kokolo, Smith, Hughes, Galbraith, Elliott, Wheatley, Saunders (sub Palmer 62), Thompson (sub Wollerton 79), Nicholson (sub Ainge 75)

Subs: Hall, Burn

January 1^st York City (away) lost 0-4

December 29^th Ashton United (home) won 2-1 Nelson

December 26^th York City (home) won 5-1 Nelson 2, Nicholson, Saunders, Hughes

December 22^nd Altrincham (away) drew 3-3 Nicholson, Saunders, Elliott

December 15^th Chorley (away) lost 2-3 Nelson 2

Alfreton

League position :  15th

Home form:  Played 12 won 3 drawn 4, lost 5, goals for 17, goals against 21, points 13 (out of 30)

Leading scorer: Reece Styche 6 (plus 5 for Quakers)

Position in form table of last six league matches:   18^th won 1, drawn 3, lost 2, goals for 6 against 12

Last 6 league matches:

January 5^th Blyth (away) drew 1-1  Allan

Ramsbottom, Sinnott, Clackstone, Lynch, Riley, Shiels, Styche, Platt, Peniket, Bateson, Allan.

Subs Not Used: Hobson, Nicholson, Bacon, Clarke, O'Brien

January 1^st Boston (home) drew 1-1 Hotte

December 29^th Southport (away) lost 1-2 Styche

December 26^th Boston (away) won 1-0 Styche

December 22^nd Stockport (home) drew 1-1 Styche

December 8^th Spennymoor (home) lost 1-7 Styche

Last meeting: September 1^st

Darlington 0 Alfreton 1 (Johnson 2 mins)

Maddison, Trotman, Burn, Ainge, Elliot; Hughes, Syers; Thompson, Nicholson, Styche, Saunders.

Subs: Glover, Bancroft, Banks, Kaba, Morrison

Booking: Ainge

Alfreton: Ramsbottom, Clifton, Wilde, Platt (sub Middleton 72, sub Riley 82) Gowling, Sheils, Johnson, Hotte, Denton, Peniket, Chettle (sub Clackstone 68)

Subs: Nicholson, Bacon

Last season: Darlington 4 (Caton, Ferguson, Gillies 2) Alfreton 1, Alfreton 1 Darlington 1 (styche)

You’ll be able to bet on the game, thanks to our partnership with FansBet – three specials paid up last Saturday against Kidderminster.

You’ll also be able to follow the game on the official website, twitter and Darlo Fans Radio, with post match interviews and highlights on the club’s YouTube channel.