We welcome fellow North East side Blyth Spartans to Blackwell Meadows on Saturday for another crunch game (writes Simon Hahn).

An all-important last-minute winner from Stephen Thompson gave us a 3-2 victory at Leamington last weekend and stretched our unbeaten run to three matches.

His hat-trick had seen us move up to 17^th place in the league table. However, Gainsborough secured a 1-0 win at home to Chorley on Tuesday night to earn them back-to-back wins and move ahead of us.

Nuneaton and Curzon Ashton both also sit on 30 points, with Telford United a further three points behind. However, all three sides have at least one game in hand on us.

It leaves Saturday's match as another crucial one against a Blyth side challenging for the playoffs. They are still seventh in the table, the final playoff place, but have struggled recently, losing five of their last seven competitive games.

Our meeting at Croft Park earlier in the season was Tommy Wright's first game in charge, which despite taking the lead, we lost 3-1.

They have a number of former Quakers in their ranks including manager Alun Armstrong, midfielder Dale Hopson and goalkeeper Pete Jameson who helped us to two promotions.

Elsewhere at the weekend several of the other sides near the bottom face off. Southport host Telford, North Ferriby play Leamington and Gainsborough travel to Curzon Ashton.

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.

Statistics:

Quakers last five matches:

27^th January Leamington (away) won 3-2 Thompson 3

Pears, Brown (sub Syers 24), Heaton, Galbraith, O’Hanlon, Trotman, Wheatley, Scott (sub Turnbull 62), Thompson, Styche, Mills (sub Caton 62)

Subs not used, Bancroft, Gillies

20^th January Chorley (home) drew 2-2 Styche, Thompson

Pears, Trotman, Galbraith, Turnbull, Heaton, Brown, Mills (sub Saunders 62), Scott, Styche, Wheatley (sub Gillies 81), Thompson (sub Syers 81)

Subs: Marrs, Bancroft,

13^th January Alfreton (away) drew 1-1 Styche

Talbot, Portas, Galbraith, Scott, Heaton, Brown, Mills (sub Saunders 72), Turnbull, Styche, Gillies (sub Wheatley 76), Thompson

Subs: Marrs, Caton, Syers,

10^th January Salford (home) lost 1-2 Mills

Talbot, Collins (sub Portas 24), Galbraith, Scott, Heaton, Brown, Mills (sub Wheatley 82), Turnbull, Styche, Gillies, Thompson (Sub Saunders 82)

Subs: Caton, Syers,

6^th January York City (home) lost 1-2 Styche

Talbot, Collins (sub Portas 70), Heaton, Brown, Thompson, Galbraith, Wheatley, Syers, Mills, Styche, Saunders

Subs: Caton, Scott, Turnbull, Gillies

Leading scorer:  Reece Styche  8

Team news:  Dominic Collins is out because of a torn hamstring

James Talbot is suspended for three matches, this is his third game, so Aynsley Pears deputises.

Tom Portas is 50/50 because of a thigh injury.

Ben O’Hanlon will make his home debut after signing from Harrogate Town

Liam Marrs has gone to Dunston on loan for the rest of the season, as has Kevin Burgess to Whitby

Current league position:  18th

Away form: played 13, won 1, drawn 5, lost 7, scored 12, conceded 24.

Blyth Spartans

Last five matches:

27/01/2018 Boston United (A) Lost 2-1

Blyth Spartans: Jameson, Atkinson, Liddle, Mullen, Buddle, I. Watson, Rivers, Reid, Maguire, Hopson (Wrightson, 65), Dale.

Subs not used: Laidler, McTiernan, Rutherford, MacDonald

23/01/2018 Alfreton Town (H) Lost 1-0

Blyth Spartans: Jameson, Atkinson, Liddle, Laidler, Buddle, Hutchinson (Mullen, 23), Rivers, Reid, Rutherford (Maguire, 46), Hopson (Wrightson, 67), Dale (c).

Subs not used: Watson, I., MacDonald.

20/01/2018 FC United of Manchester (H) Drew 1-1

13/01/2018 Bromley (H) Lost 4-1 FA Trophy

06/01/2018 Gainsborough Trinity (H) Won 4-0

League position:  7th

Away form: Played 13 won 7, drawn 0, lost 6. Goals scored 30, goals conceded 27 (scored more goals away than at home)

Leading scorer: Dan Maguire 14

Last time we met: Blyth 3 (Wrightson, Reid, Dale) Darlington 1 (Syers) HT 0-1

Bartlett, Marrs, Scott, Turnbull, Collins (sub Burgess 46), Galbraith, Gillies 9sub Saunders 73), Portas , Syers (sub Caton 78), Cartman, Thompson

Subs: Wheatley, Wilczynski,

Blyth: Jameson, Cartwright, Watson, Reid, Buddle, Hutchinson, Rivers, McTiernan, Wrightson (sub Rutherford 86), Hopson, Dale (sub McGlade 86)

Subs: Mullen, Liddle, MacDonald

Previous meetings:

2014-15 FA Cup 1q (home) Darlo 0 Blyth 0, replay Blyth 3 Darlo 0

2015-16 League Darlo 2 Blyth 1, Blyth 0 Darlo 0

2017-18 League Blyth 3 Darlo 1

Saturday’s games:

Curzon Ashton v Gainsborough, Darlington v Blyth, North Ferriby v Leamington, Nuneaton v FC United, Salford City v Bradford PA, Southport v AFC Telford United, Tamworth v York City