Source: Northern_Echo
Quakers aim to pile on the misery for Histon
Darlington head to relegated Histon this evening with manager Mark Cooper keen to inflict more misery on the bottom of the table club.[LNB] The Stutes had their relegation confirmed on Saturday when they lost 2-0 at Gateshead, a result which means they have now lost nine consecutive league games.[LNB] Cooper wants Darlington to take that run into double figures, though he is aware that the pressure is now off the Cambridgeshire club due to their place among the bottom three being final.[LNB] "The pressure's off them now that they've been relegated and that's dangerous for us," said Cooper, who says he will tinker with his line-up this evening.[LNB] "We've got to win. Everybody's beating Histon at the minute and, without being disrespectful, we want to do it too.[LNB] "We want to finish the season as high and as well as we can, and as I've said before, people are playing to be at the football club next season.[LNB] "The players have got to make sure they are at it in every minute of every game and every training session so that I simply have to offer them a contract for next season."[LNB] Although ninth-placed Darlington's chances of reaching the play-offs are remote, due to being 11 points off fifth place with 18 to play for, Cooper is not treating the match any less seriously.[LNB] Before beating Bath City 3-1 on Saturday, Cooper set his players a target of winning at least five of the last seven league matches and he wants another victory this evening so that Quakers finish as high up the table as possible.[LNB] He added: "We've done our homework on Histon. We want to finish as high as we can, if we can get to sixth or seventh then we want to get there and to do that we've got to beat Histon.[LNB] "More players will get a chance on Tuesday, some might get a chance that have not been playing."[LNB] Among Cooper's players who will get a chance this evening could be a replacement for striker Liam Hatch who is two bookings away from a three-match suspension.[LNB] Hatch scored when the sides met at The Northern Echo Arena in January, Darlington winning 3-1 with Aman Verma and Paul Arnison also on the scoresheet.[LNB] Hatch bagged a brace at the weekend, both goals coming after good movement inside Bath's penalty area which was satisfying to Cooper having concentrated on that issue in training last week.[LNB] "You have to work at things in training if you're not happy with something," he said.[LNB] "I hate forwards standing still and we haven't had enough movement in the box in recent games.[LNB] "If you don't move then you're not going to score. Strikers have got to move, they've got to be getting away from centre-backs and getting in behind to score goals."[LNB] Tonight's match at Histon, a club based just north of Cambridge, is Quakers first at Bridge Road where attendances this season have averaged around the 600 mark.[LNB] While Darlington's league form has been patchy, winning two of their last seven matches, as well as losing plenty of games of late Histon have not scored in their last four matches while they have won on home soil only once since October.[LNB] Tonight represents the beginning of another three consecutive away fixtures for Darlington.[LNB] Quakers are at Hayes & Yeading on Saturday and then Kidderminster Harriers next Tuesday.[LNB]
