DARLINGTON caretaker manager Danny Rose wants strong unity from everybody for tomorrow's crucial home game with Scarborough Athletic.

Rose has been handed temporary charge of the team following the departure of Josh Gowling in the aftermath of the defeat at Scarborough on Boxing Day, and he knows that Quakers need to start winning games as soon as possible as they’ve won only once in their last six league matches.

Whether he will be handed the responsibility on a permanent basis remains to be seen, as the club considers its options.

Quakers have won just four league games all season – only one of them at home against Chester – and they’re eight points behind fifth-bottom Rushall Olympic with the second half of the season starting tomorrow.

Their last game was against Scarborough in the reverse game on Tuesday, and they went down 2-0, with the attack drawing a blank for the second successive match. They are the lowest scorers in the league, and have only scored three times in the last seven matches.

“It’s time for everyone to pull together, as a group, as players, coaching staff, board and fans. We have to be united,” said Rose.

“I’ve spoken to the players about my own experience when I’ve been in that situation as a player, and when we’ve got out of trouble, it’s been with a united front and everyone has come together with a common goal. When that’s not the case, it’s gone the other way.

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“If players aren’t in the team, then support the player who has the jersey at the moment. If the roles were reversed, then they’d want your support as well.

“It’s really important for the group as a whole, because we’re striving for results on a consistent basis.

“The players are looking forward to putting in a performance and ultimately trying to get a result. They’ve worked hard in training, they want to do well for themselves and the club.”

Rose won’t make wholesale changes for tomorrow's game, but he will make some adjustments, one of which will be enforced with right-back Kallum Griffiths ruled out through illness.

“I’ve got a few ideas about what I’d like to do, so there might be one or two slight tweaks to what we’ve done previously, but nothing major," said Rose. "Ultimately, it’s more of a mindset shift that the players need.

“They really enjoyed working with Josh in a really professional manner, but their number one goal is to do well for the club. We don’t have time to dwell on what’s happened, all we can do is control what we can going forward.”

Scarborough are on the brink of the play-offs following Tuesday’s win, with Quakers on the other hand just two points off the bottom.

“I’ve watched the match video back a couple of times, we’ve looked at ways in which we can cause them problems," added Rose. "We didn’t do enough of that on Tuesday.

“We’re trying to build confidence in training, so then when the chances come up in games, we’re better prepared to take them.”

Adriano Moke will probably return after recovering from the virus which has swept through the team. Striker Mitchell Curry has now fully recovered from his elbow injury and is back in full training.

Scarborough will include former Darlington midfielder, Alex Purver, and Finlay Barnes, who scored twice for Quakers in the 2-1 win at Alfreton earlier in the season.