Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington prepare for Trophy test
Darlington return to training today in preparation for part two of their mini-series of games with Gateshead with manager Mark Cooper no doubt still seething about his team's inability to defend late on in games.[LNB] The sides meet again at The Northern Echo Arena on Saturday in the first leg of the FA Trophy semi-finals with the boss well aware they ill afford a repeat of Tuesday's disappointment.[LNB] On Tuesday Cooper's team threw away what would have been a rare away win when they drew 2-2 with Gateshead, despite leading 2-0 with 20 minutes go.[LNB] The crucial equalising goal came in injury-time, three weeks after the same Achilles heal cost two points in the 1-1 draw at Forest Green.[LNB] Their unfortunate habit of conceding goals from the 85th minute onwards has cost Quakers a total of ten points over the season equal to three places in the Blue Square Bet Premier.[LNB] So instead of being fifth, Darlington are eighth having also dropped points in the closing stages in games at Bath, Wrexham, Tamworth and Forest Green, as well as in the home meeting with Wrexham.[LNB] The points lost on Tuesday came via a corner, while at Forest Green it was a freekick that proved to be Darlington's downfall.[LNB] Assistant manager Richard Dryden says that the team will again be drilled on defending set-pieces before Saturday's Trophy tie.[LNB] We again chucked two points away from a set-play,[LNB] he said.[LNB] It was a proper local derby with mistakes everywhere, the ball was bobbling everywhere and a decent finish to the game, but that didn't give us any comfort as we were 2- 1 up with three minutes left.[LNB] It was a bit like Forest Green, a set-piece from out wide, but we didn't deal with it.[LNB] In the last two or three minutes you've got to have players in there who will go and head the ball away.[LNB] We're going to work on it on Thursday and Friday, but it's getting to become a very, very bad habit.[LNB] No matter what Cooper and Dryden tell their players today about defending setplays, the managerial duo know they will have to make at least two changes to the side on Saturday.[LNB] Defender Adam Quinn and striker Michael Smith both started on Tuesday but are ineligible for the Trophy due to being cup-tied, as are John McReady and Greg Taylor, both of whom were on the bench.[LNB] Dan Burn will replace Quinn while Chris Senior and Tommy Wright are hoping for a recall to play alongside Liam Hatch in attack, though John Campbell could yet figure.[LNB] Darlington will discover tomorrow after noon whether or not the broken bones in his hand, which have forced him into missing the last seven games, have sufficiently healed.[LNB]
