One game at a time remains Darlington's approach

Who is going to blink first, Salford City or Darlington?

They remain locked in a head-to-head battle for the single automatic promotion place, neither showing signs of flinching, each in fine form as the season approaches its nerve-jangling climax.

With only two weeks to go Salford have won their last seven matches, Darlington stringing six victories together, and there remains little to separate the sides.

Quakers are three points behind the leaders with a game in hand. Win their remaining three matches and they, assuming Salford win each of their last two games then Darlington would finish top on goal difference.

So there’s no room for error over the next fortnight, though manager Martin Gray says he is not looking any further than this weekend’s trip to Lancaster City.

“All we can do is concentrate on Saturday,” said Gray, whose team defeated Mossley 3-1 at the weekend, a result which secured a finish inside the top two positions.

“That’s one thing we do, we look no further ahead than the next game. We’re where we want to be, I’m just pleased Salford didn’t win by 15 goals today.

“It’s two teams fighting it out and it’s great for the league.

“Ideally I’d like everything put to bed, but it’s not and it’s all to play for. We’re really focused on Saturday, that’s our next job.”

One game at a time, that’s his mantra and it’s the approach which has kept Darlington entrenched in the title race, their latest victory being Saturday’s wind-affected contest at Heritage Park with a team that had play-off ambitions.

It was Quakers’ fourth fixture in succession against such opposition, Gray’s side again coming through it successfully, this time relatively comfortably despite the high winds which made it, a cliché maybe, a game of two halves.

With the substantial wind at their backs propelling them forward, Adam Mitchell scored twice inside the first 15 minutes.

The first came when he netted at close-range following a Gary Brown throw, which had not been sufficiently cleared, leading to Brown crossing low and turned in at close-range by the right-winger.

Mitchell soon nabbed his sixth goal in his last five appearances. After intercepting a pass by Mossley’s Sam Robinson, Mitchell passed to Tom Portas on the right before the midfielder played the ball to the near post where Mitchell tucked home.

The two-goal cushion was put Darlington at ease, though Mossley had a couple of decent penalty shouts, certainly when Robinson was shoved by Alan White.

The visitors, playing a 4-5-1 formation that saw their wide men push forward when in possession, showed themselves to be a strong side.

Gray added: “We were playing against an improved Mossley team, compared to the Mossley sides we’ve played in the past. Since January they’ve had a great run and taken points off a lot of top teams.

“They were always going to be a tough challenge, but I thought our first half performance was excellent. If it wasn’t for our finishing it would’ve been 5-0 at half-time.”

After Nathan Cartman had put a couple of difficult chances over the bar, Graeme Armstrong added the third ten minutes before the break and again Portas was involved.

He laid the ball off after dribbling inside from the left, Armstrong lashing home at the second attempt, though he appeared to use a hand to control the ball after his initial shot had been saved by Liam Flynn.

Darlington had the sense to protect their 3-0 lead in the second half, when the wind didn’t abate and keeper Peter Jameson was much busier.

Saves he had to make were few, instead he had more high balls to deal, though he had no chance of stopping Michael Fish’s penalty on the hour.

Stephen Thompson was adjudged to have Joshua Granite by referee Terry Fletcher, a decision that Gray had no qualms with.

“I think it probably was a penalty. Thommo got the wrong side of his man, he kicked through, missed the ball and caught him.”

The goal gave Mossley hope they could salvage something, while Quakers have not forgotten Bishop Auckland rescuing a 2-2 draw from a 2-0 half-time deficit two years ago thanks in part to high winds at Heritage Park.

However, Darlington were strong in defence White and Chris Hunter imperious in the air with Jameson reliable when required, although he was left sprawling inside the back of his own net due to the testing conditions.

Mossley right-back Caldon Henson almost scored from his own half when he won a tackle, the ball flying through the air and bouncing inside Darlington’s penalty area before going just over the bar.

“It’s another game played, three to go and another three points,” said Gray.

“We were hoping to get a few more goals before half-time and we created enough chances to get a fourth and fifth goal, no question about it. But we would’ve taken a 3-1 before the game started, that’s for sure.”

Goals: A Mitchell (4, 1-0), A Mitchell (14, 2-0), Armstrong (35, 3-0); Fish pen (58, 3-1)

Bookings: Bennett (63, foul); Brown (71, foul); Granite (88, dissent) Hatch (88, dissent)

Referee: Terry Fletcher (Washington) 6

Attendance: 1,233

Entertainment: ***

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson 7; Brown 7, WHITE 8, Hunter 7, Galbraith 7; A Mitchell 8, Scott 7, Portas 7 (Watson 88), Thompson 6 (Hatch 74); Armstrong 7, Cartman 6 (Dowson 66, 6). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Watson, Mota

Mossley (4-5-1): Flynn 7; Henson 7, Dean 7, Granite 6, Barron 6 (AHMADI 46, 7); Pratt 6 (Anderson 86), Hevingham 6, Keogh 6, Bennett 6, Robinson 7; Fish 7. Subs (not used): McGonigle, Farrimond, McDonnell

Man of the match

ALAN White – Stood firm, winning a number of high balls in the second half