MG says Bishop friendly was a "useful exercise"
By Ray Simpson
Darlington manager Martin Gray says that his players had “a very useful friendly” against Bishop Auc...
Darlington manager Martin Gray says that his players had “a very useful friendly” against Bishop Auckland on Saturday afternoon.
Gray moved quickly to arrange a friendly with Bishops – who didn’t have a scheduled Northern League game – on the artificial surface at King James School in Bishop Auckland after the EvoStik League clash with Grantham was postponed because of a heavily waterlogged pitch at Heritage Park.
“The Bishop game was a useful exercise, because it gave some players the chance to have 90 minutes and for others to keep up their match fitness,” said MG.
“Graeme Armstrong, Tom Portas and Kevin Burgess all played the full game, and the others all did well.
“I was delighted with the attitude of our players, they approached the game in the same way as a league game. It was a worthwhile exercise.”
Quakers needed the match practice, as they have three games in eight days scheduled soon. They are at Barwell in the league on Saturday, at Frickley in the Doodson Integro Sports League Cup on Tuesday December 1st, and at home to Rushall Olympic in the league on December 5th.
The postponement of Saturday’s game means that Quakers have four games to re-arrange – at home against Buxton and Grantham, and away at Sutton Coldfield and Frickley.
