Strong squad for Sutton Coldfield trip
By Ray Simpson
Darlington are once again in cup action this weekend when they travel to Sutton Coldfield Town in th...
Darlington are once again in cup action this weekend when they travel to Sutton Coldfield Town in the FA Trophy second qualifying round.
Despite the sides both being in the Evo-Stik Premier they have yet to meet this season.
In the previous round Darlington progressed with a 3-2 win over Mossley while Sutton defeated Coalville Town, 2-0.
Sutton Coldfield are currently twelfth in the league table, but have been on a poor run of late. In their last eight competitive games they have lost six. Their last league outing was a 2-0 defeat at home to Workington.
Alan White received a further four match suspension this week and those four games will start after Saturday. Recent acquisitions Wilson Kneeshaw and Gary Brown will be both in contention for a place in the side, as will David Dowson who returned in the midweek Doodson Cup win at Blyth after a period out through injury.
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Gary Brown returns[/caption]
Skipper Kevin Burgess and midfielder Tom Portas are also added to the squad after recovering from knocks, which encourages manager Martin Gray to say: "It's the first time for a long time that we've had a really strong squad to choose from.
"We want a good run in the FA Trophy, not only to keep our good run going, but also to bring some revenue into the club."
Kick off at Sutton Coldfield on Saturday is 3pm. If the game ends in a draw, then the replay will take place at Heritage Park on Tuesday.
Whatever the result of Saturday's game, the scheduled league game between the two clubs on September 28th will be postponed, as that is the date of the next round of the Trophy.
