OPPOSITION similar in standard to Wednesday’s awaits Darlington in West Yorkshire for today’s final pre-season friendly, believes manager Martin Gray.

In midweek Quakers drew 1-1 at Gateshead, Gray’s team arguably performing better, and today they travel to Guiseley, another National League club.

With the season starting in seven days’ time at Salford City, Gray would like to see good display, but is wary of any players sustaining an injury.

He said: “It’s going to be similar to Gateshead in that it’s going to be another good game against a team who are playing at a higher level than us.

“From my point of view, I’m looking for a good performance but I’m not bothered about the result at all, and we want to avoid any injuries.”

Injuries mean he is without a couple of players today, and holidays are a factor in his team selection too.

Centre-back Josh Heaton among those sidelined due to suffering a broken collarbone while playing for Darlington’s reserves on Tuesday at Seaham Red Star, an injury which has delayed the beginning of his Quakers career.

Gray says that the three trialists who have been familiar in recent weeks – Jordan Richards, Joe Wheatley Scott Fenwick – will all be involved, and that decisions on their future have yet to be made.

“They’ll all be there and we’ll look them to decide what we’re doing,” said the manager.

“They’ve all stayed with us on trial which is a good sign, although they will all have interest from clubs elsewhere. We haven’t made our minds up.”

Today’s game is local for midfielder Dave Syers, who scored at Gateshead, as he lives in nearby Wetherby, and it is against one of his former clubs having joined Darlington from Guiseley last October.

With the squad largely unchanged from last season, Josh Falkingham being the only exit – Syers believes the team spirit that Gray has helped engender is a useful asset.

“That’s one of the things that Martin has done really well,” Syers told the Non-League Paper. “He’s been very loyal to the players that took Darlo up from the Northern League.

“There’s a good, strong team spirit there and there has to be – we’re relying on that if we want to compete against teams who are full-time with much, much bigger budgets.”

Guiseley assistant manager is Dave Penney, who was Quakers’ boss a decade ago.