FOR a club so perilously close to relegation, three points on Saturday could prove just as valuable as the thousands of pounds raised from the celebrity match six days earlier.

The money from that friendly at the Reynolds Arena should keep Darlington running for two months, but the gloss will be taken off all that effort should Conference football be on the agenda next season.

That is why victory over Rochdale, a side with their own problems on the pitch as they sit lowly in Division Three, was so important and David Hodgson's side are now one point adrift of safety.

There may not be the calibre of player within his team that graced the Arena stage at the start of the week.

For every Paul Gascoigne there was a Mark Convery. For every Kenny Dalglish there was a Barry Conlon. For every Steve Vickers there was a Joey Hutchinson. But for all their legendary worth in front of the 14,000-plus crowd that Sunday afternoon, goalscorers that day will not have received the same sense of relief that followed Chris Hughes' crucial strike.

Hughes - only in the side because of a suspension to Ryan Valentine - may not have the reputation the likes of Gascoigne or Dalglish carry, but he is part of a Darlington team that really cares.

The 5,000 or so home supporters who braved the monsoon conditions on Saturday will have seen the determination in the Darlington ranks to pull clear of the relegation zone and, in doing so, hopefully help ease the club's debts of around £20m in the process.

Dropping into the Conference would be disastrous for Hodgson's men. A tremendous all-seater stadium out of the Football League? A nightmare, an expensive nightmare.

Of course there are more pressing worries initially. Cash worries. Say what you will about their plight but George Reynolds spent well on the lush green football pitch. How it survived the weather when the likes of Sunderland didn't is credit to the club.

It is also a boost to Hodgson that administrators Wilson-Field have entrusted him with all transfer decisions.

His main one is Conlon. Will he stay or will he go? There is every chance that had his header in the second half found the net then he would have been hailed a hero by the fans against Rochdale.

Instead goalkeeper Neil Edwards somehow got his hand to turn the ball away and the score remained goalless.

Not long after the big Irishman's substitution brought cheers from sections of the crowd.

Not the ideal way to see your stint at a club come to an end - as seems likely if Neale Cooper, Chris Turner or Brian Talbot come up with the necessary transfer funds.

If he does go - and provides the club with a few more thousand to help keep it afloat - Hodgson will have a tough task replacing him.

Granted, Conlon may not have been in the best form as he has searched for his first goal since December. But his aerial presence and good feet will be a tough act to follow.

A lot will be asked by the fans of Sunderland's Neil Teggart when Hodgson eventually completes the loan capture of the Northern Ireland youngster. A couple of goals on away trips to Bristol Rovers and Huddersfield would be the perfect way to start answering those supporters.