DARLINGTON have achieved a lot in recent seasons. Rebuilding the club, winning three promotions, and now looking forward to moving back to the town at Blackwell Meadows, all of which has been achieved with little more than talent, ambition and the loyal backing of dedicated supporters. But their FA Cup record stinks.

It is something Martin Gray is anxious to alter, starting today with a second qualifying round tie at Lancaster City.

A win would double the number of victories the club has enjoyed in the competition since 2011.

A win over West Auckland during September 2014 stands as their solitary success in five seasons, although the Football Association did not permit Quakers to compete in the competition for two of those years, a consequence of the financial implosion of 2012.

Starved of a Cup success and having witnessed the national exposure enjoyed by Blyth and Salford in recent seasons, Quakers are hungry for a run of their own.

“It’s massive, really massive, and I really want a run this year. It’s so important,” said Gray, whose club would be awarded £4,500 with a win today.

“We’ve got a tough start on Saturday, we’re going to treat it like we would a league game because I want to progress and go as far as we can in this competition.”

Gray was similarly keen to progress a year ago when Darlington had a home tie with Hyde United, a club relegated at the season’s end.

He made only two changes – giving Ryan Brobbel a full debut and starting with Alan White up front – but Quakers lost 3-1.

Gray added: “It’ll be a strong team and we want to win the game, no question.

“There’s prizemoney as well as exposure for the club and the players. It’s got all the right reasons to push on.”

The manager made four changes for the midweek away win over Bradford Park Avenue, including the recall of fans’ favourite Nathan Cartman, who made his first start since the opening day of the season.

Gray revealed he had taken time to reassure the forward during his spell out of the first-choice XI.

“Nathan was great on Wednesday, he just needed a goal,” said Gray. “His fitness levels were good. He hasn’t completed a game this season, but he was smashing.

“It’s always important to look after the players not in the team, because the ones in the team are happy anyway. Those out of the team need looking after.

“It’s important to manage them, to reassure them that they are needed because it’s a squad game, everyone is needed.

“We’re 11 games in now and everybody has played a massive part.

“Nathan’s a part of the club and he’s done great ever since he came to us. He’s improved in that time.”

Twenty players have made an appearance for Quakers in their 11 games, a number that will rise to 21 should new signing Josh Falkingham make his debut today.

The 26-year-old midfielder is from Leeds and spent 11 years in the Whites’ youth system before being released six years ago and moving to Scotland, where he had two years with Arbroath and four at Dunfermline, making over 150 appearances for the latter.

Last season Falkingham helped them achieve promotion from the third tier before being released and his arrival at Darlington comes in the wake up of Phil Turnbull’s hamstring injury.

Lancaster are 13th in the Northern Premier League First Division, two levels beneath Quakers, having won two of their five league games.