DARLINGTON are ready for action having held a three-hour training session in midweek, but fear that today’s fixture is most likely to become their latest postponement at Heritage Park.

Matlock Town are due to visit the North-East, but in all likelihood they will not depart Derbyshire.

A local referee will inspect the playing surface at 9am when confirmation of yet another call-off is expected, making it six in a row at home.

While the recent weather would test the drainage of most non-league playing surfaces – only two of today's 13 scheduled Northern League matches have not yet been postponed - since it opened in 2010 Heritage Park has been renowned for not coping with heavy rainfall.

Landlords Bishop Auckland have not played at the venue since November 28, while October 31 is the last time Darlington played there – 70 days ago. By contrast, there were only 68 days between Quakers’ final game of last season, and their first home fixture in pre-season.

Nonetheless, Quakers boss Martin Gray has prepared for mid-table Matlock in the same manner as usual.

He said: “It’s becoming soul destroying in lots of ways. You prepare the players every week.

“If Saturday is off then so be it, we are not expecting anything different. All we can control is that when games do come around we have given ourselves the best possible chance. That’s all I can do as a manager.

“We were in for training for three hours on Wednesday and you come away so eager to play on Saturday after the work that we got through.

“We were in there at 7pm and left at 10pm, we had to fit in a workshop on nutrition and preparation.

“They train how they play. The standard is so high, we set them high as staff and the players maintain them.

“They’re the best bunch of players we’ve had since I took over the club. They’re a credit to themselves as well as the staff.”

Should today’s game be off, Gray has arranged a contingency plan with Guisborough Town providing the opposition for a friendly on the artificial surface at Longfield School, Darlington (4pm kick-off). Fans are welcome to attend and admission is free.

Gray added: “There’s no getting away from it, the more games we miss the more pressure there is on us. But we have worked under that pressure since day one.

“It’s just the volume of games that we have is the problem. You have to hope you can keep everyone fit, that fatigue does not set in.”

Supporters are invited by the Darlington FC Supporters Group to donate the cost of a match ticket to Quakers.

A spokesman for the group said: “It’s no secret that Darlington Football Club’s finances have been severely squeezed by the lack of home games since the end of October.

“In particular the two bumper gates that were expected for matches over Christmas are unlikely to be realised on the rearranged dates.

“In the event that this match doesn’t go ahead, then thanks to a suggestion from proactive fan, Ian Taylor, all fans are invited to donate the price of an entry ticket at Quaker Retail.”

Quaker Retail is in the Dolphin Centre foyer 10am-1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Donations can be made either by cash or cheque.

Alternatively, donations can be made via bank transfer to sort code 30-84-43, account number 30227860, with all donations forwarded on to the football club.