BUILDING on their weekend draw is the aim this evening as Darlington tackle Boston United, opposition who are in fine form and third in the table.

Quakers go to York Street in tenth position after three matches without a win, though they restored some confidence by drawing 1-1 at Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

Having lost the previous two games 3-0 and barely having a shot in either match, the weekend point was satisfactory for Alun Armstrong, whose team are four points shy of the play-off positions.

“It’s still extremely tight and it will be for the rest of the season, but we’ve got to stay within that pack to keep it interesting,” he said.

“The season could be effectively finished in the next couple of weeks, or we could do what we want to do and that’s get into the play-offs, and this group want it.

“So does every team, it will be extremely tough, but if we keep going we might go on another run and four or five wins gets you back in there.”

Armstrong had various selection options available at Aggborough and made three changes to his starting XI for a mixture of reasons, Alex Storey, Justin Donawa and Gary Martin making way.

In their place came Terry Galbraith, Stephen Thompson and Adam Campbell, and Armstrong explained: “Alex has been playing with a hernia problem. I thought we lacked communication in the last two games: once confidence goes your communication goes as well because you start focusing on yourself and you’re not helping your team-mates out.

“Bringing Terry back in, he’s the captain, a leader, and on Saturday he was organising.

“It was between Louis Laing and Alex who I rested, and I went with the young one because he’s 21-year-old, this is the first season that he’s played regular men’s football.

“It’s men’s football week after week, he’s not done it before, so a time to come out of the team for a little rest was always going to come, but he has been brilliant and it’s nothing to do with his form.”

Donawa was back on the bench after nine games in the starting XI, Armstrong explaining: “It was a toss-up between him and Jarrett Rivers, but the way Kiddy play was a factor.

“There was a moment when Justin got caught out by their left-back getting forward, Jarrett tracks back and covers. I know Jarrett is constantly working defensively, but if it had been a home game the decision might’ve been the opposite way.

“We were away from home and needed to stop the rot and I knew Jarrett would do that other side of the game that not everyone sees.”

Darlington took the lead at Kidderminster with a spectacular Will Hatfield goal before being pegged back, and Armstrong said: “If we had nicked a win we would’ve been feeling very confident now, but would we have deserved it? Probably not. Fair play to Kiddy, they’re a decent side, I knew we’d be in for a tough game and we would’ve taken a point before it.”

Armstrong expects to again have plenty of selection options, saying: “Everyone should be fine, nobody has come to me to say they can’t travel because of work.

“Boston are flying at the moment, and they will be looking for a bit of revenge because we turned them over at our place – in the first half Tyrone tortured them.”

Darlington beat Boston 2-1 at Blackwell Meadows in October, Tyrone O’Neill and Campbell scoring, but the Pilgrims are unbeaten in seven matches, Saturday’s 3-1 home win over York City being their sixth fifth victory in succession.

Boston boss Craig Elliott said: “I think it’s our best result of the season. I think it was a really strong performance against a team doing so well, and I’m really happy for everyone, players, fans.”

Boston’s Simon Ainge will again play against his parent club, as per the agreement arranged when he moved on loan from Quakers last summer.

This evening’s game will be Darlington’s last at York Street, Boston’s home since 1933, unless they meet there in the play-offs too. The Pilgrims will move into the new Jakemans Community Stadium in time to kick off next season.