Preview and stats pack for Saturday’s away game at Stockport County

On the final day of the season we travel to former Football league rivals Stockport County (writes Simon Hahn). Results in the last week ended our slight hopes of a playoff place while County have secured their place in the end of season lottery.

We suffered a disappointing 4-2 defeat at home to Southport on Wednesday night in our final game of the campaign at Blackwell Meadows.

It means we go into the final weekend of the season in 12^th place in the table.

Stockport have had an excellent second half of the season and regardless of the result will finish 5^th meaning they will be at home to the sixth placed team in the first round of playoff games. In the league they have won eight of their last ten league games as they have stormed out of the pack to clinch a playoff place.

Our meeting earlier in the season saw us draw 1-1 after Terry Galbraith had appeared to give us all the points only for County to level deep into stoppage time.

Kick off on Saturday is 3:00pm, updates on the game will be made from the club’s Facebook, Twitter and Website. Live Commentary will be broadcast from Darlo Fans Radio at 2:50pm.

Team news:

Terry Galbraith, Luke Trotman, and Joe Wheatley will all have fitness tests.

Dom Collins and Chris Hunter are both ruled out

Statistics:

Quakers last five matches:

25^th April Southport Home lost 2-4 Gillies, Saunders

Pears, Trotman (sub Portas 57), Heaton, Galbraith (sub Vaulks 46), O’Hanlon, Turnbull, Wheatley (sub Saunders 81), Thompson, Syers, Gillies, Styche

Subs: Bancroft, Glover,

21^st April Nuneaton (home) drew 0-0

Pears, Brown, Heaton, Galbraith, O’Hanlon: Turnbull, Wheatley; Thompson (sub Caton 75), Syers (sub Portas 69), Gillies (sub Saunders 84); Styche

Subs: Glover, Bancroft,

19^th April Spennymoor (away) won 2-1 Styche, Tait og

Pears, Portas (sub Caton 73), Heaton, Galbraith, O’Hanlon: Turnbull, Wheatley; Thompson, Syers (sub Brown 62), Gillies; Styche (sub Saunders 73)

Subs: Glover, Bancroft

14^th April FC United (away) won 2-1 Gillies, Styche

Pears: Trotman (sub Portas 58), Heaton, Galbraith, O’Hanlon; Turnbull, Wheatley, Thompson, Syers, Gillies (sub Collins 90+1); Styche (sub Saunders 85)

Subs: Bancroft, Caton,

7^th April Boston (home) lost 1-2 Styche

Darlington: Pears, Portas (sub Collins 87, O'Hanlon, Turnbull (sub Mills 63), Heaton, Galbraith, Gillies (Caton 63), Wheatley, Styche, Syers, Thompson

subs: Glover, Bancroft,

Leading scorer:  Reece Styche 13 (inc 2 in Trophy) Stephen Thompson 10

Current league position:  12th

Position in form table of last six games:  15th

Away form: played 20, won 5, drawn 7. Lost 9, goals scored 20, goals conceded 31, points 22 (out of a total of xx)

Best away winning margin: 2-0 at Salford

Stockport County

Last five matches:

21^st April Blyth (away) won 1-0 Ball

Hinchliffe, Cowan, Duxbury, Turnbull, Smalley, Stott, Thomas (O’Halloran, 62), Winter (Capt.), Oswell, Warburton (Minihan, 75), Ball (Stephenson, 48).

Unused Subs: Ormson, Clarke.

17^th April Chorley (away) drew 1-1 Duxbury

Hinchliffe, Cowan, Duxbury, Turnbull, Smalley, Stott, Thomas (Clarke, 89), Winter (Capt.), Ball, Warburton (O’Halloran 86), Turner (Stephenson, 46).

Unused Subs: Ormson, Minihan.

14^th April Telford United (home) won 1-0 Stephenson

Ormson, Cowan (Stephenson, 68), O’Halloran, Turnbull (Capt.), Smalley, Stott, Thomas, Ball, Oswell (Winter, 62), Warburton, Turner (Clarke, 84).

10^th April Kidderminster (away) lost 1-3 Ball

7^th April North Ferriby (away) won 3-1 Warburton 2, Oswell

League position:  5th

Position in form table of last six league games: 4th

Home  form:  played 20, won 12, drawn 4, lost 4, goals scored 40, goals conceded 18, points 40 (out of 68)

Best home win 6-0 v Southport

Previous meetings:

Played 118, Darlington wins 35, draws 27, Stockport wins 56

Last season: Darlington 2 (Beck, Mitchell) Stockport 1 ,Highlights

http://darlingtonfc.co.uk/darlington-v-stockport-county-extended-highlights/

Stockport 3 Darlington 3 (Gillies, Thompson, Beck) Highlights

http://darlingtonfc.co.uk/stockport-county-v-darlington-extended-highlights/

This season: Darlington 1 (Galbraith) Stockport 1

Today’s other games:

Boston United v AFC Telford United, Brackley v York City, Chorley v Alfreton, FC United of Manchester v North Ferriby, Gainsborough v Tamworth, Harrogate Town v Curzon Ashton, Kidderminster v Bradford PA, Leamington v Salford City, Nuneaton v Blyth, Spennymoor Town v Southport, Stockport County v Darlington