IT will be friends reunited this evening when Darlington play their penultimate pre-season friendly at Gateshead, who are managed by one of their former players.
Neil Aspin is boss of the National League club, a defender with Darlington in 1999-00 when he was a team-mate of Quakers’ managerial pair Martin Gray and Brian Atkinson.
“Darlington will be a tough game but I’d like to think it’s going to be more like a game we’d get in our league compared to what we faced against Newcastle at the weekend,” said Aspin.
A full-strength side will travel to the International Stadium (7.30pm), while the final friendly is on Saturday at Guiseley.
Admission tonight is £10 for adults, £5 for concessions/students, and £2 for under-16s.
Meanwhile, Tom Portas made a successful first appearance in a strong Darlington side during last night’s reserve game at Seaham Red Star.
A Quakers side which included Peter Jameson, Liam Marrs, Arran Wearmouth, Stephen Thompson and Harvey Saunders lost 4-2, but a huge positive was Portas’ appearance.
He played for an hour, his first football since suffering an ankle injury in September last season during a league match against Stalybridge Celtic.
“The game went well for me,” Portas told Quakers’ official website. “It was nice to get back on the pitch. Playing again has been a long time coming, and there were times earlier in the year when I wondered if I would ever play again and it crossed my mind about packing in.
“But with everyone’s encouragement, I kept battling away, and tonight has gone well, I haven’t felt any after effects. I’ve looked after myself as well, and running round didn’t bother me.
“It was a bit physical at times, and maybe I held back in tackles once or twice until I was more confident.
“I’m looking forward to the next game and then force myself into contention for a place when the league starts.”
Craig Lynch scored a hat-trick for Seaham, while on target for Quakers were Nathan Stephenson, and new signing Josh Heaton, who is a former Bamber Bridge centre-back.
Darlington: Jameson, Marrs, Heaton, Wade, Walton, Wearmouth, Hume, Portas, Milburn, Thompson; Saunders.
Former Darlington winger Adam Mitchell has been transfer-listed by Spennymoor Town.
He joined Town from Quakers last October, making 26 appearances and scoring twice.
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