Source: Northern_Echo
Quakers head west to bond
THE second stage of Darlington's pre-season programme begins this evening with the first of a series of friendly fixtures against non-league opposition.[LNB] After three tough home games last week, Quakers have travelled to the Lakes, for what manager Mark Cooper describes as a week of team bonding and tough training' while they will also play two matches.[LNB] Workington are first up, at Borough Park (ko 7pm), this evening followed by Kendal on Thursday while the newlybuilt squad will also be put through their paces at an activity centre.[LNB] We are going there for some tough training, two tough games and a bit of team bonding, said Cooper, who saw his side lose 3-0 to Carlisle United on Friday.[LNB] It should be good fun and they have all been great to work with. I could have had a bit of a go at them after Friday but the effort and commitment they have given me in two weeks has been great.[LNB] We'll go to an activity centre where we will do archery, clay pigeon shooting and white water rafting. I will be getting stuck in. We will have a little competition and the gaffer always wins![LNB] You learn who the leaders are, who the followers are, you learn loads. You stand back and see what kind of characters you have got. When you are with them for four or five days in a camp you get to see what they are like.[LNB] They seem to get on well.[LNB] There are no big time Charlies, which is something we need if we want to be successful.[LNB] The players will be happy to get away from the training ground, do something different and I'm looking forward to the games.[LNB] Before the season starts on August 14, Darlington have a match to come at Billingham Synthonia on Saturday which will be followed by games next week against Spennymoor Town, Newton Aycliffe and Gretna Green.[LNB] The standard of opposition is in stark contrast that Quakers faced last week when Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Carlisle all visited The Northern Echo Arena, though Cooper has been without a handful of injured players.[LNB] He added: We are missing Gary Smith, Gareth Waite, Chris Senior and Kelvin Jack.[LNB] That's four big players out for us. We need those back and we need them because we are short of numbers.[LNB] Hopefully Gary Smith and Chris will take part. Chris has a dead leg, Gary has ongoing ankle problem and Kelvin has hamstring. Those three should play this week.[LNB] A youthful Darlington XI, featuring two unnamed Danish trialist strikers, drew 1-1 at Whitley Bay last night.[LNB] Whitley Bay took the lead via a long-range free-kick inside the last ten minutes, but one of the Danes soon equalised after capitalising on a defensive error inside the penalty area.[LNB] Darlington also gave another run-out to trialists Jamie Clarke and Joe Cornforth with the only first-team members to feature being Curtis Main and Chris Moore.[LNB]
