DARLINGTON manager Alun Armstrong wants his team to extend their recent good home run when one of the best away teams in the National League North come to Blackwell Meadows tomorrow in what he describes as a “season-defining game”.

After Ben Liddle coolly despatched a stoppage-time penalty into the roof of the Buxton net on Tuesday, Quakers have now gone four games unbeaten at home, and they’re looking to make that five against Kidderminster, who are just outside the play-off places, nine points behind tomorrow's opponents.

Tomorrow's game provides a good opportunity for Quakers to put some daylight between themselves in fourth place and the play-off chasers, and also enhance their chances of finishing in second or third, which would guarantee a home game in the play-off semi-finals.

“This could be a season-defining game,” said Armstrong. “Kidderminster have got some really good players, and they’ve got their tails up away from home. They’ve been indifferent at home, but they’ve been flying away.

“They’re a good, solid full-time team that is nice and strong and are probably better than when we played them earlier in the season, when we won 2-1 at their place.

“But we’ve started to find our feet at home, we’re unbeaten at home in our last four, and I want us to keep that going. The lads are doing extremely well, and they have to make sure that they continue that form.

“Opposing teams have set up against us in our recent home games, they’ve all sat back and tried to counter-attack us.

"We need to match Kidderminster’s energy and make sure that we stamp our authority on the game and play the way we want to play. Hopefully, after Tuesday’s result, the lads have got more belief in themselves.

“The fans helped massively on Tuesday night. When we lost the goal that deflected in off Jassem (Sukar), you could see that it was pure luck. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, Buxton hadn’t had a shot until then.

“The fans never shut up, they kept shouting encouragement all the way through to the end. Positive noise like that is massive for the lads because it keeps them going. The fans earned that point on Tuesday for us.”

Tuesday's point made sure that Quakers stayed in fourth place, with the draw coming off the back of away defeats at Boston and Leamington.

“We lost a couple of games, and had to nip things in the bud," said Armstrong. "When you do that, you can kick on again. We need to be better in the final third and take our chances more.

“I questioned the lads publicly after the defeat at Leamington, but they responded to that question in the right way on Tuesday night.

"They showed the desire and determination that I was questioning. We could have won the game with the chances that we had.”

Armstrong thought that midfielder Alex Purver was outstanding on Tuesday evening.

"He gives everything and never has a bad game," he said. "There aren’t many people with better stats than Purvs in terms of the distance he covers. He runs everywhere on the field.

“If people worked as hard as him, you’ve got a result every day of the week.”

Armstrong has added Jake Cooper to his squad, the defender rejoining Quakers on loan from Altrincham. He was with Quakers on loan from Rotherham during the first half of last season.

He will start and most likely be partnered by David Wheater in the centre of defence. Jake Lawlor will have a fitness test.

Armstrong praised Sukar, who missed the Leamington game because of illness but played the full 90 minutes against Buxton.

“I thought Jassem was superb on Tuesday.," he said. "He hadn’t felt at all well last week, but he stepped in on Tuesday and gave everything.”