DARLINGTON aim to continue their resurgence this weekend having moved into mid-table with an improved run of results, in the process doubling their total of clean sheets for the season in a matter of weeks.

Last weekend’s 6-0 win over North Ferriby means Quakers have lost only one of their past ten games, keeping five clean sheets in the process – more than they managed in their first 30 matches in total – and goalkeeper Aynsley Pears has been pivotal.

The 19-year-old, on loan from Middlesbrough, has been man of the match more than once in his nine appearances, and this week travelled to Poland after being a late call-up to the England under-20s squad following an injury to Will Huffer of Leeds United.

Pears was an unused substitute on Thursday for the team’s 1-0 win in Bielsku-Bialej, and after today’s Darlington game at Telford is expected to rejoin the England squad for Tuesday’s match in Manchester against Portugal.

He has clearly played his part in Quakers’ improvement, and manager Tommy Wright has already asked Boro if Pears can return to the club on loan next season.

Wright said: “Aynsley Pears has been an absolute revelation for us, and that’s now five clean sheets in the last seven games.

“We keep talking about how young our back four is, but we’ve got such a mature goalkeeper.”

Pears revealed his contract with Middlesbrough expires this summer, but expects to go out on loan again to gain further experience.

“I’m really enjoying being here, and I just hope I can keep helping the lads to climb the table,” said Pears. “We’re 11th now and I don’t see why we can’t stay in the top half.

“I want to keep on enjoying my football and to see where it takes me. I’m taking it game by game, I’m hoping to do well with Darlington for the rest of the season and after that I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I don’t have a contract for next season, we’ll see what happens with that, but most likely I’ll go out on loan again, but it depends on the situation with goalkeepers at Middlesbrough.”

Pears, who made his debut for England Under-19s in October 2016, has been in Boro’s Academy since Under-9 level, and travelled with the first team in the Premier League towards the end of last season.

There’ll be no Premier League experience this season, however, instead he is in the National League North for the closing weeks of the campaign, but he has no complaints as his spell with Quakers is all part of his development.

“Playing here has definitely helped me,” he said. “It’s very tough, you’re playing against men who are stronger, it’s generally more difficult for a goalkeeper, but it brings the best out of you.

“There’s a lot of people who come and watch us, but playing for Middlesbrough you get 100 people on a Monday night.

“The fans care, it’s more important to them.”

The goalkeeper’s father, Stephen, made over 400 appearances for Middlesbrough over ten years before leaving Ayresome Park in 1995, before Aynsley was born.

Father has been passing on goalkeeping tips to son, and Aynsley added: “He’s come down to help out with training a couple of times on a Thursday, he’s a really good coach, and I’ve enjoyed working with him.

“I haven’t had much chance to do that over the last few years. I do talk to him all the time, but he just lets me get on with it, he’s not too full-on.

“He retired in 1995 I think, I was born in ‘98, so I’ve watched videos and he wasn’t bad, was he. He doesn’t bring up his own career, he keeps quiet about it, but he helps me a lot.”