DARLINGTON aim to kick-start their season today when they play their first game of 2016 at Frickley Athletic, weather permitting.

Again Quakers find themselves at the mercy of a pitch inspection, which takes place at 11am.

All concerned hope Darlington avoid yet another postponement. They have seen seven matches postponed due to the weather, plus three more due to cup competitions taking precedence, so find themselves with games in hand over all but one club in the division.

As a consequence, they have dropped to sixth with Ashton and Workington leapfrogging them. Martin Gray’s side are now 12 points off the top with four games in hand on leaders Blyth Spartans.

It was against Blyth who Quakers last played almost three weeks ago, winning 1-0 with a Lee Gaskell goal, since when Gray has been left contemplating how to prepare for 25 games inside the final 14 weeks of the season.

“All we’ve been able to do is prepare to play,” he said. “We had a practice match last weekend and then trained this week.

“We’ve had another look at how we can recover from games, we’ve looked at that in a little more detail with every player in the squad.

“We want to give ourselves the best chance we can of getting to where we want to be.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work, we haven’t just sat back while the games have been off, we’ve looked at what we can do with these 25 games in 14 or 15 weeks to maximise our chances. We’ve left no stone unturned.”

The practice match was played in the absence of a league fixture, Guisborough Town providing the opposition for a friendly staged on the synthetic surface at Longfield School.

Stephen Thompson scored in a 1-1 draw, Darlington fielding a strong side, although there was no Nathan Cartman or Lee Gaskell, both of whom are expected to start today.

“It was a run-out, no more than that,” said Gray. “There was nothing on the game so you don’t get that extra ten per cent that you’re looking for, but it gave the lads a bit of match practice.”

Cartman signed for Quakers 12 months ago this week, the Halifax-based striker moving from Harrogate RA, although he had to wait until January 24th for his Darlington debut.

He also had to wait for the goals to come, but ended the season having netted seven times in Quakers colours, including in the play-off final against Bamber Bridge.

Looking back on his first 12 months with the club, Gray said: “He helped us gain promotion which was the most important thing. He scored vital goals at the right time in the run-in, he got one in the play-off final and his performance in the semi against Spennymoor was outstanding.

“Like all players he took time. His transition from Harrogate to Darlington was a big move, bigger than people probably think. It took him time to settle in.

“This season he has been great, not just his goals but his play in general has been good and he’s just got better.”

Cartman’s work-rate is also a notable feature of his game, something Gray encourages in his strikers, though the manager added: “That wasn’t his strength, he wasn’t asked to do that at his previous club.

“He’s had to adapt his game to become more of a team player, not just a goalscorer, because that’s how we work and he’s bought into it.

“Everybody has warmed to his qualities and the players think he’s a massive asset. He’s delivered and I’m delighted with him.”

Cartman had to wait for his debut because Quakers’ home match a year ago this weekend, at home to Prescot Cables, was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Gray is reluctant to countenance the possibility of yet another postponement today.

Asked what Plan B is, he said: “A snowball fight, maybe? I don’t know, I don’t even want to think about another postponement.

“Having said that, I think the forecast is minus five in certain areas, so it’s a case of keeping everything crossed again.”