It’s Retro Day at Blackwell Meadows on Saturday as we host FC United of Manchester in a crucial league game at the bottom end of the table.

FC United head to the North East in the final relegation place on 31 points, six behind Guiseley who sit directly above them and nine behind ourselves. 15 points are still available before the weekend’s games.

They come into the game having suffered two set backs in their hopes of survival in the last two weeks. Firstly they led 3-1 against ten man York only to be held to a 3-3 draw. Then last Saturday they lost 4-0 at home to bottom of the table Nuneaton who are all but relegated already.

For ourselves we have lost our last two games against Chester and Stockport following our 2-1 victory at Nuneaton.  

Our meeting earlier on this season saw us come away with a 2-1 victory from Broadhurst Park in October thanks to two Harvey Saunders goals. FC united finished the game with nine men after two second half sending offs.

If you’re not coming to the game, then follow it on Darlo Fans Radio, the official website and official Twitter

Stats pack

Darlington

League position:  18th

Home form:  played 18, won 5, drawn 5, lost 8, goals scored 21 goals against 20, points 20 (out of 40).

Team News:

Omar Holness returns to the squad after a one match ban

Luke Trotman is out because of a one match ban for his red card at Stockport last week.

Joe Wheatley has trained twice this week

Leading scorer:   Jordan Nicholson 10, Harvey Saunders 8, Stephen Thompson 7

Position in form table of last six matches:  20^th played 6, won 1, drawn 1, lost 4, goals for 6, goals against 12

Last six matches

March 30^th Stockport (away) lost 0-2

Darlington: Turner, Trotman, Ainge, Galbraith Jackson; T Elliott, Nicholson, Palmer, Thompson; Saunders (sub K Elliott 90+2), Kneeshaw (sub Bascome 50, sub Henshall 72))

Subs: Maddison, Burn,

March 27^th Chester (home) lost 0-1

March 23^rd Nuneaton (away) won 2-1 Thompson, Nicholson

March 9^th Hereford (away) lost 2-4 Elliott, Thompson

March 5^th Telford (away) lost 1-3 Saunders

March 2^nd Chorley (home) drew 1-1 Kneeshaw

FC United of Manchester

League position :  20th

Away form:  played 18, won 6, drawn 3, lost 9, goals for 21, goals against 31, points 21 out of 31

Position in form table of last six league matches: 17^th, won 1, drawn 3, lost 2, goals for 9, goals against 13

Team news: Manager Neil Reynolds was reported as saying after their 4-0 home defeat by Nuneaton last weekend that he would be playing some of the club’s Academy players today.

Last six matches:

 30/3/19 Nuneaton (H) Lost 4-0

26/3/19  York City (H) Drew 3-3 Whitham 2, Willoughby

23/3/19 Curzon Ashton (A) Lost 3-1 Willoughby

09/03/19 AC Telford (A) Won 3-1 McHale, Willoughby, Peers

02/03/19 Hereford (H) Drew 2-2 Sharp, Willoughby

23/02/19 Southport (A) Drew 0-0

Last time we met:

FC United 1 (Brierley) Darlington 2 (Saunders 2)

Team: Maddison, Trotman, Galbraith, Hughes, O’Hanlon; Henshall (sub Nicholson 68), Elliott, Wheatley, Thompson (sub Burn 90+1); Ainge (sub Syers 68), Saunders

Subs: Glover, Cameron Hall (sub Keeper)

Team; Perrin, Senior (sub Crawford 85), Thompson, Jones (sub Palinkas 20), Lynch, O’Halloran, Tattum, Brierley (Limpitshi- Bongwamba 69),, Mansell Donohue, Banister

Subs: Lonsdale,   Grimshaw,