WITH seven points needed for promotion from the final four fixtures, it’s back to the Brewery Field for Darlington with a warning: You’ve achieved nothing yet.

Four days after switching their midweek game to Spennymoor Town’s home, Martin Gray’s itinerant team today return to the venue after Heritage Park was again declared waterlogged.

Darlington announced yesterday that a referee had deemed the pitch unplayable – the ninth time they have been unable to stage a game at Bishop Auckland’s home this season.

So Quakers take on struggling Stamford at the Brewery Field, with Moors owner Brad Groves again allowing Quakers use of the venue free of charge.

Darlington are hoping for a repeat performance of Tuesday’s trouncing of Skelmersdale, a comprehensive 3-0 win that took Quakers to the top of the table, two points clear of Blyth Spartans.

They have a game in hand on Blyth, who today go to Matlock Town, a team safely ensconced in mid-table with little other than pride to play for.

Stamford, however, are third bottom and could be relegated today if results go against them, leading Gray to say: “They are fighting for their lives so it will be another tough game.

“When we went down to their place last month it took us a good 60 minutes to get the first goal.

“They had a good result at the weekend, but we’ll be ready for it and we’re looking forward to it.”

Supporters are looking forward to it too. Enthused by taking charge in the promotion race and a midweek match played in an electric atmosphere, another large crowd can be expected, though Gray has taken a more pragmatic approach.

“The players were very calm, very sensible after Tuesday, they are not the type to get too carried away – they’ve achieved nothing yet,” said the straight-talking manager.

“We need to get across the finishing line.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good position, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re prepared for the next game.”

With Blyth also playing on Tuesday, there are several permutations possible when predicting when Quakers could win the title during a chaotic final week of the season.

Gray simply wants to win all four remaining games.

He said: “Tuesday was one more game chalked off, we had to win and we did it. Now we go again on Saturday.

“We’ve got four games left and we want four wins, that’s the mentality in the group. We’ve got no other approach than to win every game.”

Darlington are at home to Grantham on Tuesday, then at Whitby on Thursday, before completing their league programme at Walsall-based Rushall Olympic in seven days’ time.

Injuries are becoming more frequent, however. Tom Portas, Adam Nowakowski and Lee Gaskell all sustained knocks in midweek, and last Saturday at Grantham Phil Turnbull sustained a muscle strain.

Gray is confident his team can cope with the demands of playing four games in eight days.

“It’s unfortunate the way the season has gone,” he said. “With the amount of games we’ve played in a short space of time you’re going to get knocks and injuries that you wouldn’t get otherwise. We just have to get on with it.

“The players have something to play for, it’s not as though they are seeing the season out in mid-table.

“The mentality of the players is one game at a time – which we say a lot – and to make sure that we’re ready for Saturday.”