NOT only are Darlington are fighting for survival, players are playing for their future at the club and have two months to prove they deserve a new deal.

With 11 games to go the team remain involved in a battle against relegation from the National League North.

Five unbeaten games, including three wins, had seen Quakers rise to 14th, but after being beaten at Brackley seven days ago they have fallen four places in what is a congested bottom half of the table.

Ahead of today’s home game with Kidderminster Harriers, Tommy Wright’s side are 18th, five points above the drop zone but only three adrift of Boston United in 11th.

Relegation remains a concern, however, while there is uncertainty regarding the long-term future of individuals in the squad who are out of contract in the summer.

Wright said: “The lads who are out of contract in the summer, they’re playing for their careers here and they’ve got two months.

“They’ve got 11 games to prove they want to be at the club.

“There are shirts to be won and I don’t think it’s the right time for this club to be rewarding new contracts when we’re only five points off the relegation zone. There will not be a reward until we’re safe.

“There’s opportunities there – James Caton was dead and buried not along ago, but he has come back fighting.”

Caton will not be in the starting line-up today as he is recovering from a hamstring strain sustained in the last home game three weeks ago, a 3-0 win over Blyth Spartans, so Josh Gillies retains his place.

Wright believes Gillies’ performances have improved of late but the manager wants to see more from the ex-Gateshead player.

“I think he’s getting there,” said Wright. “He’ll be the first to admit that he has been below par.

“We’ve had chats. We’ve changed the system twice and we’re not playing how we were previously, but a wide midfield player is a wide midfielder player – ultimately, you expect assists, crosses into the box and shots on goal, it’s not rocket science.

“He knows what I expect of him. He will probably get another opportunity on Saturday.

“I personally think he is getting better and better, he has gone from being a massive player in Martin Gray’s team, to having to fight for his shirt again.

“When you’re in that situation you can respond either way. At times he might’ve felt a little bit sorry for himself, and at times he’s felt ‘I will show you’.

“I want him to show me more.”

Stephen Thompson and Reece Styche return to the starting line-up today having both missed out at Brackley due to suspension and illness respectively.

It was the away fixture with Kidderminster in November where Wright collected his first point as Darlington manager, a 3-3 draw after being 3-1 down at one stage.

Kidderminster last weekend lost for the first time in 18 league matches – 2-0 at home to Harrogate Town – and have climbed to fifth having started the season with five defeats in 11 games.

Away from home they have not lost in the league since September, and Wright, whose Nuneaton team beat Kidderminster 1-0 in August, said: “They had a slow start, they were 16th or 17th for a long time, but they’ve gone on a great run and have got a great squad together.

“I know a lot of their squad. They were slow on the recruitment side after they lost a few players last summer. They added a bit of quality around September time when they’d already played seven or eight games.

“They were slow starters, but they’ll be in the play-offs 100 per cent.

“Arguably they’re the best passing side in this league, they have a lot of quality, so it will be a tough game.”