Quakers striker ruled out of FA Trophy test

11 March 2011 11:29
One of Darlington's reserve strikers will be handed a chance to impress in the first leg of the FA Trophy semi-finals tomorrow.[LNB] Gateshead visit The Northern Echo Arena in the second part of the trilogy of games between the sides being played inside 11 days with honours even so far.[LNB] They drew 2-2 in a league meeting on Tuesday at the International Stadium, but Quakers striker Michael Smith is cup-tied tomorrow having already played in the Trophy while on loan at Workington before Christmas.[LNB] Manager Mark Cooper is unable to call on former Newcastle Benfield forward John Campbell who remains sidelined with a broken hand.[LNB] That means Chris Senior, Tommy Wright or Nathan Modest will be called on to partner Liam Hatch as Darlington bid to reach the final at Wembley.[LNB] Cooper said: "John Campbell won't be fit, he is not allowed to take his cast off for another week because it's such a bad fracture.[LNB] "We've got Tommy, Chris and Nathan. With Chris we've just got to make sure he's fit enough to start the game.[LNB] "Also there are the boys who are cup-tied, so it will be a similar team to the one that has got us through four rounds already."[LNB] As well as Smith, also cup-tied are John McReady and Greg Taylor, both of whom were unused substitutes on Tuesday, and Adam Quinn who started the game.[LNB] His place will go to Dan Burn who will slot into a defence that conceded an injury-time goal at Gateshead, leaving the large travelling support feeling deflated.[LNB] Cooper felt likewise, and he said: "When you're 2-0 up with 19 minutes to play, then yes it does feel like a defeat. On the positive side, Gateshead have beaten a lot of good teams recently and it was another point on the total that we're trying to achieve.[LNB] "So we're over it and we're looking forward to Saturday now.[LNB] "We're both good football teams. Gateshead play really good football, like their manager (Ian Bogie) did as a player, he was a good player.[LNB] "My team are playing really good football at the minute as well, both teams have got good players, players who can score goals, and it all adds up to a really exciting tie."[LNB] The respective recent form of each of tomorrow's teams is also impressive.[LNB] Darlington lost only one of their last 16 games in all competitions while Gateshead have been defeated only twice in that time.[LNB] Among the Heed squad is a handful of former Quakers players including Paul Heckingbottom, Craig Nelthorpe, Richard Offiong as well Adam Rundle who recently joined the Tyneside club on loan from Morecambe.[LNB] The 26-year-old winger began his career with Quakers and he is looking forward to playing against a club that he often did well against while with Rochdale.[LNB] He said: "It's going to be two hard games against Darlington, they are a good team.[LNB] "They are one of my old clubs so I know what they will be about. There's a couple of lads there that I know from my time. They are good players, so I know it will be a very hard game."[LNB] Rundle was part of the Rochdale side that overcame Darlington in the League Two play-offs three years ago, and he went on to score in the Wembley play-off final defeat to Stockport.[LNB] He added: "Gateshead tried to sign me in the summer, so they'd already sold the club to me beforehand.[LNB] "They are striving hard to get into the Football League, and are very ambitious.[LNB] "I saw that they were playing well and were in a semi-final with the chance of going to Wembley, and that was obviously an attraction as well. It (playing at Wembley) was a good experience. We got beaten, but I scored a goal and it is something that people seem to remember.[LNB] "I would be delighted to go back to Wembley, but if I did get the chance to go back I'd want to win this time."[LNB] Darlington midfielder Paul Terry played for a reserve XI against the club's youth team yesterday in his bid to return from a cruciate knee ligament injury.[LNB]

Source: Northern_Echo