Darlington manager Alun Armstrong has told his players that only a win will do when they go to Banbury on Tuesday.

Quakers came away from Kettering on Saturday with a battling goalless draw which kept them fifth in the table, just out of reach of the chasing pack, but Armstrong wants three points to put more pressure on those wanting a play off place.

“The point at Kettering is only any good if we follow it up with the three points at Banbury,” he said.

“Hopefully they’ll be in a fragile mood and we can get at them.

“We’ll be making changes. Fresh legs will come in because that was a really heavy pitch at Kettering on Saturday. Hopefully we’ll get the team right and we’ll get the three points that are needed. If we do win, then that will put us seven points ahead of the eighth-placed club, and that will be a lot of points to catch us up.”

Banbury, who won at Blackwell Meadows in August, have slipped down the table in recent weeks because of a nine-game winless run, and they’re in 18th place, three points above the relegation zone. They lost at home to bottom club Telford on Saturday.

“Banbury will be looking for a reaction. I don’t know what’s happened to them recently, but they were a good side when we played them earlier in the season. I know they’ve lost a couple of quality players.

“Nothing is a given though in this league, we know that from the games that we’ve played recently.”

Meanwhile, Armstrong has revealed that leading scorer Jacob Hazel turned down the opportunity to represent his country, St Kitts and Nevis, in the Concacaf Cup matches against St Martin and Aruba.

“He could have been away playing in the Caribbean, but instead he decided that he wanted to help us.

“We have to thank him for that, and by doing so he showed how committed he is to the cause.”

Definitely out of the reckoning tonight is midfielder Jarrett Rivers, who pulled up with a groin injury at the start of the second half at Kettering.

“I’m gutted for him, I thought he was our brightest spark at Kettering on Saturday.

“He was the only one who could dribble with the ball on that pitch. He’s been fantastic since he came back into the team with all his running, and his absence will be a massive blow.”