DARLINGTON: Quakers send out an SOS to help get their game on

The first of those aims rests heavily on whether the referee gives the game the thumbs up when he conducts a pitch inspection, while the assistance of the club’s supporters is also crucial.

An SOS has been sent out appealing to supporters to clear the snow which has been left on the Blackwell Meadows pitch until this morning to act as insulation against recent freezing temperatures.

Volunteers have been asked to attend Blackwell from 7.30am to clear the snow, the hope being their efforts will not have been in vain when the referee inspects the surface at 9.30am.

Recording a much-needed win would be a huge reward for all of Quakers’ hardy fans, who often answer the call to give their club assistance – a dozen were also at Blackwell yesterday to clear snow from walkways – though overcoming Chorley requires the team to penetrate the meanest defence in the division.

While the Lancashire club’s recent form is mixed – winning four and losing four of their last ten games, beating Salford 3-0 yet losing 3-0 to Southport a week later – no side has conceded fewer goals than Matt Jansen’s men.

They demolished Darlington 4-1 back in September and are ninth, though they have scored only 28 times, four fewer than Quakers, who have won only of their last ten games, yet manager Tommy Wright is feeling optimistic.

“I fancy us to score, I’d back us to score against anybody,” he said.

“Talking to the lads and listening to what they’re saying, they go into games and know they can match anybody in this league and they can – I’ve said that to them since day one.

“Ultimately, we can’t keep losing or just drawing, we’ve got to start putting some points on the board.

“But we’re focused and we want to win the game and it’s as simple as that – I’m not looking beyond that game.”

Today’s game is the first of five against teams in the current top ten to be played in the next six weeks.

While a tough schedule, it could be pointed out that of Quakers’ tally of 26 points, 13 have been won against top-half teams, with 13 against bottom-half opposition.

Their recent run, no matter what the opponent’s league position, has been poor, losing seven of Wright’s ten league games, but he is looking no further than 3pm today.

He added: “You do look at the fixtures, but all I am interested in is Chorley at home, not who anyone else is playing.

“I’d actually prefer to be sitting in the relegation zone right now, because when you are one place out, as we were recently, you keep checking the results to see who is losing beneath you.

“But when you’re in the relegation zone you know it’s about you and nobody else.”

Wright’s single victory in 11 matches in all competitions matches Martin Gray’s total wins in his final 11 games at the helm, during what has been a season of turmoil.

The desire of David Johnston, Quakers’ chief executive, to reduce the playing budget has resulted in mid-season rebuilding, with players such as Adam Bartlett, David Ferguson, Mark Beck and Nathan Cartman leaving, and Wright having to remould the squad.

James Talbot had been doing well in his loan from Sunderland until the 89th minute of last Saturday’s game at Alfreton, a match Quakers led 1-0 for the most part until the young goalkeeper had an altercation with an opponent, the consequence being a penalty to the hosts and Darlington dropping two points.

Aynsley Pears, 19, has been brought in on loan from Middlesbrough to cover for Talbot, who is now banned for three games having been shown a red card, though Wright has some sympathy with the youngster for reacting to an apparent kick by Alfreton’s Tom Allan.

He said: “From what I’ve been told by Gary Brow,n who was close to it, and by Tally himself, apparently he gave their player a little dig in the ribs and asked him what he thought he was doing. I understand that reaction as a player because it’s happened to me, when someone has randomly hit you for no reason.”

Without dominating possession, Darlington did not look in danger of conceding, and Wright added: “We were close to winning and for 89 minutes they didn’t really trouble us, but when you’re 1-0 up you’re either brave and keep having a go for that second goal, or you think you can see it out at 1-0. Without that incident I think we would’ve seen it out.

“Ultimately the players made that decision on the pitch. I can’t set a tempo for the players, I can’t make decisions for them on the pitch.

“I don’t think our changes were negative, so nothing should’ve changed with the way we played, but players manage games, it’s as simple as that. We thought we could hold on, we didn’t.

“We ended a losing a steak, which was important, but we still fell two points short of what we wanted and needed.”