DESPITE the recent freeze, Darlington have warmed to the much-maligned festive programme more than most in League Two, but Neil Wainwright has warned the job is still far from done.

Quakers play their third game in six days, and their last of 2005, at Lincoln City this afternoon, aiming to build on a revival which has seen them close the gap on teams in the play-off zone to just four points.

After failing to win a single game in November, the final month of the year has been a far happier one for David Hodgson's men.

Two wins and a draw in Hodgson's last three games have restored confidence and the belief that Quakers can still challenge for a top-seven finish.

While Wainwright shares the optimism, the 28-year-old remains cautious, having witnessed first hand the inconsistency which has so often blighted Quakers' aspirations.

"We set ourselves a target before the four games in eight days and that was to try and win every one of them," said Wainwright. "So far we have four points out of six and now we can go into the Lincoln game with every chance of winning.

"We've shown some consistency in our last three games, but if we're going to close the gap at the top then we need to perform well over a lot more games.

"Last season we missed out on the play-offs because we couldn't build on good results. To a certain extent that's been the case this year and that is something we need to put right."

After the 3-0 win at Stockport earlier in the month, Wainwright admitted the postponement of the Grimsby game was not a welcome one.

The former Sunderland winger revealed: "All the lads were disappointed when the game got called off after Stockport because we had the momentum going into the Grimsby game.

"Luckily, we kept that momentum at Carlisle. It was a good performance and a very good point in front of a big crowd.

"We have to try to pick up as many points as possible over the Christmas period and so far, touch wood, it's been good."

Despite Wednesday's win over Barnet at the 96.6 TFM Darlington Arena, boss Hodgson was livid with the lack of professionalism shown by his side in the closing stages.

Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu and Simon Johnson had given Quakers a two-goal cushion before Ben Strevens' injury-time strike ensured a tense finale.

"We didn't keep the ball as long as we'd have liked in the last 20 minutes and it was disappointing to concede late on," admitted Wainwright.

"When you look back at the Stockport game, when we went 2-0 up, we kept the ball really well and it was comfortable in the end.

"It should have been the same against Barnet, but at the end of the day it's three points and we will take that into the next game."

Quakers yesterday received special dispensation from the Football League to sign Middlesbrough goalkeeper David Knight on loan.

The transfer window does not re-open until January, but without a recognised stopper, after Bert Bossu broke his foot against Barnet, Hodgson has been allowed to sign Knight.

The 18-year-old is Boro's fourth-choice goalkeeper and has yet to make a first-team appearance for the Teessiders. However, the Houghton-born player has been on the bench for Steve McClaren's men on nine occasions this season.

Knight was part of Mark Proctor's Middlesbrough Academy side, which also contained Quakers midfielder Anthony Peacock, that won the FA Youth Cup last year. The stopper has also represented England at various youth levels.

Ryan Valentine, who served a one-match ban, is available after missing the Barnet game with a virus. Likewise, Phil Stamp is back in contention after recovering from a bug.

With defender Joey Hutchinson out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, Dutchman Shelton Martis will continue alongside re-appointed skipper Matt Clarke at the heart of the Quakers defence.

Lincoln, last season's beaten play-off finalists, have failed to live up to expectations this year and lie a disappointing 15th in League Two. They were beaten 3-0 on Boxing Day at Grimsby Town, with manager Keith Alexander admitting his side were "outplayed".

Referee Trevor Kettle will not be officiating following a late switch by the Football League. Kettle caused controversy the last time he took charge of a Quakers game, sending off David McGurk and booking six Darlington players in a 3-1 defeat at Mansfield in 2003.

Northampton official Dean Whitestone will now take charge.

Darlington (4-4-2): Knight, Close, Martis, Clarke, Kendrick, Wainwright, Keltie, Dickman, Johnson, Ndumbu-Nsungu, Kandol. Subs (from): Appleby, Valentine, Webster, Maddison, Thomas, Peacock.

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