[caption id="attachment_15453" align="alignnone" width="278"] away shirts available in club shop[/caption]

Darlington head to local neighbours Blyth Spartans for a top of the table Bank Holiday Monday clash.

Blyth currently sit top of the league table 12 points ahead of the Quakers who are in fifth place. However, Darlington go into the game with three games in hand on their rivals.

Both sides had games postponed on Boxing Day, Darlington’s game with Whitby Town and Blyth’s fixture at Workington both fell foul to the weather.

The sides had a dramatic meeting earlier in the season at Heritage Park, as goals from Stephen Thompson and Alan White saw Darlington come from behind to win 2-1. Over 1700 fans were in attendance that day and another bumper crowd is expected if the game survives the weather.

Last time we met in the league

August 31^st 2015

Darlington 2 Blyth 1.

Veteran Alan White scored again to give Quakers victory over league leaders Blyth at Heritage Park.

White has been a defender for all of his career, but in recent games has been pressed into service as an emergency striker. On Saturday he scored twice at Colwyn Bay , and six minutes after coming on as sub, he scored the winner against Blyth.

Quakers were a goal behind, but the team showed great resilience to score twice in six minutes to defeat the league leaders.

Quakers had the first chance after 5 minutes when Nathan Cartman, with his back to goal, tried a shot on the turn from 10 yards out, but the ball went past the post.

Then after another pressure of home pressure, Stephen Thompson chipped the ball forward, and Cartman’s volley from an acute angle went into the side netting.

Blyth replied with a good run by Dan Maguire down the left hand side which got him into the six yard box, but Quakers managed to scramble the ball away.

And in Blyth’s next attack on 14 minutes, Maguire’s low left foot shot was comfortably held by Peter Jameson.

After Tom Portas charged through and fired wide, Blyth had the best chance of the game so far when Sean Reid charged down an Ian Watson clearance and set up Arran Wearmouth, but with just Jameson to beat, he fired into the side netting.

The teams matched each other after that, and incurred two bookings apiece, until Robbie Dale forced a low save at the foot of his post out of Jameson from a 25 yard free kick five minutes before half time.

And just on half time Armstrong headed a deep cross from Ian Watson over the crossbar.

Blyth missed a great chance when Maguire threaded the ball through for Sean Reid to run unchallenged into the box, but he pulled his effort wide when he should have done better.

Quakers had the first chance of the second half, a curling free kick from 25 yards out on the left that Thompson curled wide of the post.

Blyth took the lead after 49 minutes when Dale burst through on the left hand side, and managed to beat Jameson at his near post with the help of a deflection off a defender.

Blyth disrupted Quakers’ rhythm after that, with several fouls that saw bookings for Tom McNamee and Matthew Wade.

But Quakers kept their cool, and equalised on 68 minutes, when David Dowson laid the ball off for Stephen Thompson to hit first time from the edge of the box into the bottom corner of the net.

And Quakers took the lead six minutes later when Watson crossed from the left, Thompson completely mishit his shot, but it ran nicely for Alan White, who had only been on the field for a few minutes to hot left footed on the turn past Adam McHugh into the net.

Blyth nearly levelled when sub Michael Richardson mishit a volley across the face of goal, and Dale, coming in at the far post, almost turned the ball home.

In stoppage time, Blyth had a chance when Dale crossed from the left, and Hutchinson headed straight at Jameson.

Darlington:

Jameson, Gibbons, I Watson, Portas, Burgess, Hunter, Thompson, P Turnbull, Armstrong (sub Dowson 66), Cartman (sub White 66), Bell (sub Scott 63).

Subs not used: Provett, Mitchell.

Blyth:

McHugh, McNamee, J Watson, Morse, Hutchinson, S Turnbull (sub Hooks 45), Wearmouth (sub Richardson 69), Reid (Nicholson), Maguire, Wade, Dale.

Subs not used: Parker, Cartwright.

Referee: Barry Gordon.

Attendance 1,767

Bookings: J Watson (foul), Bell (foul) Hutchinson (foul), I Watson (foul). Morse (preventing throw in), McNamee (foul), Wade (foul), Wearmouth (foul), Nicholson (diving), Burgess (foul)

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The Quakers made the trip to Croft Park last season for an FA Cup tie, but three second half goals saw the Quakers dumped out of the competition 3-0.

Kick-off at Croft Park is 3pm, with updates on the game coming from the club’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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Blyth's recent results

December 19th Stourbridge (home) won 4-3 Reid,  Dale, Turnbull, Nicholson

Blyth: Otte, Nicholson, Watson, Parker, Hutchinson, Turnbull, Richardson, Reid, Maguire (sub Wearmouth 5), Wade, Dale. Subs not used: Hooks, Morse, Cartwright, Robinson

December 12th Barwell (home) won 4-0. Reid 2, Richardson, Parker.

Blyth Spartans: 1. Fabian Otte, 2. Andrew Cartwright, (17. Alex Nicholson, 71), 3. Jordan Watson, 4. Danny Parker, 5. Ryan Hutchinson, 6. Stephen Turnbull, ( 15. Neal Hooks, 76), 7. Michael Richardson, 8. Sean Reid, (12. Paul Robinson, 68), 9. Daniel Maguire, 10. Matthew Wade, 11. Robbie Dale

Unused subs: 14. Dillon Morse, 16. Arran Wearmouth

December 5th Marine (away) won 2-0 Maguire, Richardson

Blyth Spartans: 1. Fabian Otte, 2. Andrew Cartwright, 3. Jordan Watson, 4. Danny Parker, 5. Ryan Hutchinson, 6. Stephen Turnbull, 7. Michael Richardson, 8. Damen Mullen (Neal Hooks 20), 9. Daniel Maguire (Arran Wearmouth 86), 10. Sean Reid, 11. Robert Dale

Subs: 12. Alex Nicholson, 14. Paul Robinson, 17. Dillon Morse

November 28th Matlock (away) FA Trophy lost 2-4 Maguire, Richardson

Blyth: 1.Fabian Otte, 2. Andrew Cartwright, 3. Jordan Watson, 4. Dillon Morse, 5. Ryan Hutchinson, 6. Damen Mullen, 7. Michael Richardson, 8. Stephen Turnbull (Arran Wearmouth 68), 9. Daniel Maguire, 10. Matthew Wade, 11. Sean Reid

Subs: 12. Paul Robinson, 14. Neal Hooks, 15. Danny Parker, 17. Alex Nicholson

November 14th FA Trophy Whitby (home) won 1-0. Mullen

Blyth Spartans: Otte, Mullen, Watson, Morse, Hutchinson, Turnbull, Nicholson (Cartwright 80), Richardson (Reid 70), Maguire, Wade, Dale (c). Subs not used: Hooks, Parker, Robinson.