DARLINGTON step out at Roots Hall this afternoon knowing a win will bring them to the brink of their holy grail - league safety.

And fresh from Saturday's diligent win over promotion-chasing Mansfield, David Hodgson's men couldn't face Southend in a more buoyant mood.

Relegation shouldn't even be an issue, but after a run which brought just one defeat in 12 games, four games without a win prior to Saturday had set the Conference alarm bells ringing again.

But if ever there was a game to revitalise Quakers, then Saturday's onslaught was just that.

On the back of what Stags boss Keith Curle described as "one of our best performances of the season", following their 3-1 win over Oxford in midweek, Mansfield's players must have been in a state of shock after seeing Quakers hit the woodwork three times in a relentless first period.

And if Quakers can introduce the same kind of vibrancy to their game today, Hodgson knows his side will be within touching distance of achieving the goal he was set by ex-chairman George Reynolds back in November: league survival.

With five games remaining Quakers are four points clear of second-bottom York, who have a game in hand.

But given the Minstermen's alarming demise in 2004 - without a win in their last 14 games - Chris Brass' side are showing little threat to anyone.

"It is irrelevant what takes place elsewhere as long as we keep winning," said Hodgson. "Of course it helps if other teams around us lose but the important thing is we concentrate on our own game.

"If we win on Monday other teams need to win.

"The bottom line is we had to beat Mansfield. We went out in the right frame of mind and I think that's why we started so brightly and they finished in the right of frame of mind.

"Now we have to take that into our next game and hopefully come away with another three points. I'm pretty certain we'll get there.

"We go to Southend next and I know we can go there, turn them over and take three points as well."

It took Quakers just four minutes to signal their early intentions on Saturday. Stags keeper Kevin Pilkington doing well to tip a Barry Conlon header over the bar.

From the resulting corner, Conlon then headed his second effort wide when Pilkington looked beaten.

The Stags stopper could only look on moments later and he was relieved to see Danny Graham's scuffed effort trickle off the upright after a mix-up in the Stags defence.

And when on-loan Middlesbrough striker Graham escaped the attentions of defender Rhys Day moments later, the 18-year-old took a lick of paint off the other post with a stinging effort.

After surviving the early barrage, Mansfield recorded their first effort on goal with quarter of an hour played.

Winger Wayne Corden cut inside Brian Close - deputising for the injured Craig Liddle - from the left, before seeing his curling effort tipped over the bar by keeper Michael Price.

Quakers soon resumed offensive service and despite Stags defender Alex John-Baptiste's vain attempts to hold back Conlon in the box, the Irishman stood his ground to smash his header off the bar from Ryan Valentine's pin-point cross.

But it was the visitors who came close to taking a fortuitous lead when Junior Mendes' low shot deceived Price with two deflections before bouncing up off the Quakers keeper's chest.

It was Quakers' turn to be saved by the woodwork on 35 minutes when Colin Larkin headed Liam Lawrence's cross off the post.

After coming so close on several occasions to scoring in the first half, it took Quakers just four minutes to break the deadlock after the interval.

Mark Convery's corner was sliced high into the air by Baptiste and it was Clarke who rose highest amongst a melee of players to head into the back of the net.

The visitors looked for a quick reply and minutes after the restart Price was forced to claw away a tame effort from Neil MacKenzie.

Only the legs of Pilkington denied Clark Keltie a goal on his first start since November.

Conlon's cross was only half cleared by Day before Keltie drove his effort goalwards only for Pilkington to save desperately.

The visitors looked far more assured going forward and on 58 minutes they were unlucky not to level when Day sent a bullet header over the bar from Lawrence's corner.

Pilkington did well to save from Valentine's near post free-kick on 77 minutes.

With three minutes of added time displayed by the fourth official, Mansfield pushed forward late on and Day was unlucky not to level when he headed over in injury time.