Preview and stats pack for Saturday’s home game with Nuneaton

Tickets available here:

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Darlington manager Tommy Wright will face his old club when Nuneaton come to Blackwell Meadows in the Vanarama National League North on Saturday.

Tommy was manager of Nuneaton for a year after being appointed in November 2016, and will come into the game full of confidence after the 2-1 away win at Spennymoor on Thursday.

In his programme notes for Saturday’s game, Tommy says; “We play host to my former side and this is the first time I’ve experienced that as a manager and one I’m looking forward to. I reflect on my time there with gratitude and without that on my cv, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to be the manager here at Darlington.”

Right back Luke Trotman is expected to return to the squad on Saturday, and Tommy is hoping that a few knocks and bruises to several players will clear up before Quakers’ second game in 48 hours. Nuneaton played on Monday night at Curzon Ashton.

Thursday night's 2-1 victory at Spennymoor leaves us 11^th in the table six points off the final playoff place with three games to go. It makes it eight wins out of the last 12 games for ourselves.

Nuneaton sit on 52 points just one behind us in 13^th also destined for a mid-table finish.

Like ourselves they were in real trouble at one stage when they sat in the relegation places at the end of 2017, but they have pulled themselves away from this over recent months.

Our meeting earlier in the season saw Nuneaton come out on top winning 2-1 the week before Tommy made the switch back to the North East. Their visit to Blackwell Meadows last season also saw them come away with all three points after a 2-1 win.

Team news:

Right back Luke Trotman -- who played for Nuneaton against us earlier in the season -- returns to the squad after missing Thursday night’s game, but defender Dom Collins is out with a hamstring injury.

Tom Portas will have a fitness test on a tight hamstring, Phil Turnbull has a slight knock on his knee.

Greg Mills could also be included in the squad against his old club.

Statistics:

Quakers last five matches:

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,

31^st March Southport (home) postponed, re-arranged for 25^th April

24^th March Telford (away) drew 0-0

Pears, Trotman, Heaton, Galbraith, O'Hanlon; Gillies, Turnbull, Wheatley, Thompson; Styche (sub Saunders 46), Caton (sub Scott 65)

Subs: Bancroft, Glover, Vaulks,

17^th March North Ferriby (home) won 6-0 Gillies 2, Thompson 2, Syers, Styche

Darlington:  Pears , Trotman, Heaton, Galbraith, O’Hanlon; Turnbull, Gillies, Wheatley; Thompson (sub Caton 64); Styche (sub Mills 64), Syers (sub Glover 57),

Subs: Bancroft, Vaulks

Leading scorer:  Reece Styche 12 (inc 2 in Trophy) Stephen Thompson 10

Current league position:  11th

Position in form table of last six games:  6th

Home form: played 19, won 9 drawn 4, lost 6, goals scored 35, against 22, points 31 out of 53

Best home winning margin: 6-0 v North Ferriby

Nuneaton Town

Last five matches:

16^th April v Curzon Ashton (away) drew 2-2 Wildin, Langmead

Etheridge, Wildin, Heaton, Elliott, Langmead, Johnson, Ferry, Daniels, Chambers, Mitchell (sub Nabi 76), Nti

14^th April v Salford City (home) lost 0-2

Etheridge, Wildin, Heaton, Elliott, Langmead, Johnson, Ferry, Beswick, Chambers, Green (sub Daniels 41), Nti

10^th April v York City (home) won 1-0 Chambers

Etheridge, Wildin, Heaton, Elliott, Langmead, Johnson, Ferry, Beswick, Chambers, Green, Nti

7^th April v Southport (away) won 1-0 Nti

Etheridge, Wildin, Heaton, Elliott (sub Daniels), Langmead, Johnson, Ferry, Beswick, Chambers, Green (sub Mitchell), Nti

30^th March v Alfreton (away) drew 1-1 Nti

Etheridge, Wildin, Heaton, Elliott, Johnson, Digie, Ferry, Beswick, Chambers, Green (sub Mitchell), Nti (sub Dielna)

League position: 13th

Position in form table of last six league games:  13th

Away  form:  played 20, won 6, drawn 5, lost 9, goals scored 20, against 1, points 23 out of 52

Best away win:  2-0 at North Ferriby

Top scorer: Ashley Chambers 19

Previous meetings:

Last season: Nuneaton 1 Darlington 1 (Beck); Darlington 1 (Syers) Nuneaton 2

This season: Nuneaton 2 (Chambers, Nicholson) Darlington 1 (Syers)

Bartlett, Marrs, Scott (sub Burgess 70), Turnbull, Collins, Galbraith, Gillies, Portas (sub Wheatley 50), Cartman (sub Syers 46), Saunders, Thompson

Subs:  Wilczynski,  Dawson,

Lyness, Trotman, Dielna, Elliott, Gascoigne, Heaton, Nti (sub Hickey 78), Daniels, Chambers, Nicholson, Henshall (sub Mills 75)

Subs: Taylor, Beswick, Geohaghon

Saturday’s games:

Vanarama National League North

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