A SEASON-DEFINING four days begins for Darlington today with the first of two away games that will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the title race.

With a match at home to relegated New Mills rounding off the league programme in seven days’ time, wins at Lancaster City today and Warrington on Tuesday are crucial to automatic promotion hopes.

With a top-two place secure, home advantage in the plays-offs await Darlington or leaders Salford City.

Quakers manager Martin Gray expects Salford to win both of their remaining matches – against 14th-placed Burscough and lowly Ossett Town next weekend – so three more victories are needed or it will be the play-offs for the second season in a row.

The manager, however, prefers not to discuss the trip to Warrington. Instead, publicly at least, he talks only about today’s task: winning at Lancaster.

“We’re focused on this game and we know what we’ve got to do,” said the boss, who watched Lancaster’s 0-0 draw at Spennymoor Town on Tuesday.

Lancaster, managed by former Newcastle United defender Darren Peacock and ex-England international Trevor Sinclair, have conceded only two goals in their last six games.

Gray added: “They’re a well-organised team, as you’d expect given who they have off the pitch, they had a good shape.

“They’re very well-disciplined and keep their shape so they’re going to be a tough challenge.

“They’re going to be hard to break down and, without giving our game-plan away, we’ve a way of going about things.

“The most important thing is that everybody is on top of their game. Everybody has to perform at this stage of the season, everybody, including the subs when they come on, they all need to be at their best as we were last week against Mossley.”

Darlington defeated Lancaster 3-0 on March 11, four days after Peacock’s side had beaten Salford 2-0, and Gray knows another impressive display will be needed.

He added: “It was a strong performance against them a few weeks ago and we need to do that again. We’ll need to be at that level again to beat them because they are a good team and have taken points off sides at the top.

“I know they’ve got nothing to play for in terms of league position, but that means nothing, we cannot afford to take these lightly at all.

“It’s a big game for anybody when they play against us, no disrespect to anybody else in the division, and as a manager you want to do well against the teams challenging for promotion.

“We’ve got to be respectful of them, but it’s about what we do, that’s the most important thing.”

Gray will hope for a continuation in the good form Adam Mitchell has shown of late, scoring six goals in five appearances including a brace seven days ago in the 3-1 win over Mossley.

The goal spree has taken his league tally to eight having scored only twice previously.

“We’ve told him to play with a bit more freedom and to go and express himself,” said Gray. “He’s got so much to offer going forward.

“I’ve asked for more goals from him, more goals and assists, and he’s found some great form at the back end of the season.

“He was getting into positions, but not hitting the target or not forcing the keeper to make a save. Now he’s being very clinical.

“He had two chances last Saturday and took them both. He’s got to maintain that standard for the rest of the season.”