Darlington youngster Chris Hughes is delighted to be back in the first-team picture, despite having to play in three different positions in yesterday's win over Macclesfield Town.

In his one hour appearance, as a substitute for the injured Neil Wainwright, Hughes filled in comfortably at right wing-back, right-back and then right-midfield as Quakers recorded their second successive win to follow victory at Scunthorpe United.

After a lengthy spell out of the side, Saturday's win at Scunthorpe marked Hughes' return to action as a second half sub and he was on form yesterday as Quakers avenged a defeat earlier in the season to Macclefield, when the 20-year-old had made a rare start in his favoured central midfield position.

"It's brilliant to be involved again," said Hughes. "For two months I haven't had a look in, I haven't even been on the bench so I was really pleased to be on the pitch again.

"Because we changed formation and there were a couple of substitutions that changed things, I played right wing-back, then right-back and then right-midfield.

"If I had the choice I'd prefer to play in central midfield but I'll play anywhere that I'm asked to, just so I can be on the pitch.

"There's been no reserve games recently and normally I can get through a game without any fitness problems but today, for the last five minutes, I was feeling a bit tired.

"Hopefully I can get a few more games over the coming weeks and that will help my fitness."

After dropping from fifth to tenth following three consecutive defeats, having won the previous three, Darlington are now up to sixth and on Saturday host 18th placed Oxford United who have won just one of the last 11 away games.

Hughes said: "Winning two games back-to-back was exactly what we needed after losing the previous three.

"The Scunthorpe win was an excellent result and we deserved to win down there, just as we did today against Macclesfield.

"We need to build on these results and push on from here.

"It would be no good winning two in a row only to lose at home to Oxford on Saturday.''

Despite featuring heavily last season and at the start of this term, since the October win at Oxford 14 games passed without the hard-working 20-year-old even making it into the final 16, and in his first game back Hughes was given the task of marking livewire Scunthorpe winger, Peter Beagrie.

"Playing against Beagrie, it was the first game I'd played for a while and it raining, it was windy, the conditions were horrible but I was delighted to play.

"I think I played OK at Scunthorpe and today, now I just want to stay in the team and help us keep winning.

"It is good to play against players like Craig Hignett and Wijnhard in training because it means that you're prepared for when you come up against someone like Beagrie.

"And when you're playing alongside people like Clyde it's harder to play badly than it is to play well."