We've had our taste of one end of the Football League with our visit to Wolves on Tuesday night and now it's back to sampling the other end of it with the visit of fellow strugglers, Darlington.  The difference between us and Darlo though is that we don't really think that we're doing too badly.

Truth is that we are only three places above them but there is a full eight points difference and if Darlington don't start to get their act together soon they'll be dropping out of the League altogether.

Their task isn't helped with all the goings on up there with the antics of George Reynolds dragging the club into receivership.  This has already been well documented elsewhere and we'll leave it at that.  I wouldn't like a visit!

Football seems to have taken a back seat in Darlington and all we know is that they haven't won an away League game all season and have only won once at the George Reynolds Stadium since October.  That came in a 3-0 win against York City.

We were the first to inflict a defeat on them there back in August when we were the curtain raiser in front of 11,600 fans.  2-0 with the goals coming from Danny Williams and Andy Bishop.

With little news coming from the club we know that they'll be without Joe Hutchinson and Chris Hughes with suspension.  For the same reason we'll be without Scott Stamps this week.

They have also seen their two loan players return to their clubs this week.  Craig James back to Sunderland and Lee Matthews to Bristol City.  It's doubtful that the administrators will allow any more in until a buyer for the club is found.


We have also seen a loan player called back today.  Mansfield have re-called Andy White to Field Mill to act as cover for their strikers due to injuries and suspensions.  As I've said before I don't think it'll be the last we see of Whitey.

We should have Lee Jenkins back this week so, along with the missing Stamps, Jan Molby is going to have to do a bit of moving around this week.  Kenny Coleman is still unfit and Jenkins is not a left sided full back.  Gadsby had a howler of a game playing there recently and Steve Burton has gone back to Hull City so that could be interesting.

Adam Murray will also be in contention for a place and that might mean that either Dean Bennett, Matt Gadsby or Graham Ward find themselves demoted to the bench.  Whatever happens we'll see a different line-up this weekend.

As long as the three points come our way we'll be happy.

Teams

Harriers from:
Brock, Danby, Gadsby, Hatswell, Jenkins, Murray, Smith, Hinton, D Williams, Parrish, Bennett, Betts, Ward, Shilton, Christiansen, Henriksen, Rickards, J Williams, Heath.

Darlington from:
Collett, Price, Norton, Liddle, Valentine, Clarke, Bossy, McGurk, Keltie, Nicholls, Pearson, Wainwright, Maddison, Alexander, Sheeran, Coghlan, Convery, Conlon, Mellanby, Clark.