ALMOST four months on from one of their most disappointing defeats of the season, Darlington bid to make amends when they travel to Merseyside tomorrow.
Struggling Marine overcame Quakers 1-0 at the beginning of October, one of only five league victories they have managed so far this campaign.
Sean Hessey’s team has gone into freefall by picking up one point from their last seven matches, leaving them fifth-bottom of the Evo-Stik Premier Division, one place above Whitby Town.
Darlington’s 2-2 draw with Whitby ten days ago, however, has provided Martin Gray’s side with a recent warning about the dangers of becoming complacent.
A week ago Quakers returned to winning ways at home to Colwyn Bay, another club entrenched in the relegation zone, by securing a 3-0 victory that saw captain Kevin Burgess score twice.
“We had to get back to doing what Darlington do best, and that’s defending well,” said Burgess.
“I wasn’t happy my performance against Whitby. Even though we got a draw, we came away feeling like it was a defeat and I was in a mood all week about it, so this was a game to put it right.
“If I have a below-par performance, I think about it all week and can’t wait for the next game to put it right. I think I did that on Saturday.
“A clean sheet gives everyone confidence going into the next game and long may it continue.”
Burgess joined from Whitby last summer, and after playing against the club with whom he was with for almost a decade he said: “They played decent football and deserved a point, and it was good to see some old faces.
“Whitby played long-ball under the old manager, Darren Williams, but Chris Hardy likes to get it down and play.
“One of my best mates is Dave McTiernan, the centre-mid, and fortunately for him I didn’t get chance to tackle him. It was a bit weird playing against players I used to play with, but it happens.”
He scored only once for Whitby last season, but has already found the net five times in Quakers colours.
“It’s the first time I’ve done that at this level,” he added, having bagged a brace last Saturday. “I said at the start of the season, after I’d watched Darlington in the play-offs, that they had great deliveries on free-kicks and corners, so I fancied myself to get a couple of goals when I joined.
“As long as I keep on scoring and we keep on winning games then things are looking good.”
Starting on Tuesday when they welcome Buxton to Heritage Park for the first of three home games in eight days – dates with Skelmersdale and Matlock to follow – Darlington will play in midweek for ten successive weeks.
It promises to be a demanding schedule, though Burgess prefers it that way, saying: “Martin has touched on it before and said we were missing match practice, so I’d rather be playing Saturday-Tuesday every week.
“To be honest though, I’ve got a bit of a niggle in my groin so this week’s rest will have done me some good.”
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