And they're off - Darlington left the stalls late but got their first win away from home. Naylor's crosses from corners seem to work as Liddle has now got two already.

The dark clouds are disappearing from Feethams as the fans seem more optimistic than at the beginning of the campaign. Soon the opponents will cotton on but it's good to see the short corners of old have virtually gone.

This town is as big as Blackburn - maybe we can go all the way and the Premiership may not be just a distant dream. Two home wins next week will do nicely.

Scott Thornberry,

Darlington

Gary Bennett's half- time team talk must have been something special! After a fairly poor first-half display from both teams, Darlo came out for the second period looking like a different team and started to play the kind of football that we are capable of. Once we did that, Southend could not live with us and the two goals were the least we deserved. We defended superbly and up front, Lee Nogan worked tirelessly and scored a deserved goal. But all 11 players who started, and the two subs, were excellent, especially in the second half. With two home games coming up, we have a great chance to establish ourselves amongst the promotion candidates.

Daniel King,

West Auckland