Match Preview by Leon Higgins

Chi Ezennolim’s late winner at Worksop on Saturday meant it was eight points in the last five league games as Mark Bradshaw’s side climbed back within touching distance of the play off places.

Saturday’s win means The Nash sit 8th in the league table, a point off Kidderminster who occupy the last play off place. Tuesday’s midweek fixture is part of a full programme of games in the division.

The hosts sit a point and two places above Curzon in the league table. Sitting in 6th place, Darlington have claimed four victories in their last five games with those four all coming in the league against Worksop, Kidderminster, Peterborough Sports and last time out against Spennymoor. The only defeat came against United of Manchester in the FA Trophy.

Head to Head:

The Nash played Darlington for the first time in the 2013/14 season and since then there has been 18 meetings between the sides.

In 2013-14 both teams were battling to be champions of Northern Premier League Division 1 with Curzon winning 1-0 at the Tameside Stadium.

Going into the reverse fixture at Bishop Auckland, it was 1st against 2nd. The Nash once again claimed victory winning 4-0 to virtually wrap up the title.

Every game since that season has been in the National North with Curzon claiming ten wins to the Quakers five with three draws.

Curzon Ashton:

• Chi Ezennolim was named in Saturday’s National League North team of the weekend.
•  Alongside Darlington, Curzon are yet to win when trailing.
• The Nash have used 20 players so far this season, which is the joint least in the league with Fylde and Scarborough.

Darlington:

• Williams Hatfield (GW2) Peter Jameson (GW4) Jackie Maskell (GW7), Joshua Scott (GW9) Daryl Ombang (GW13, GW16) Scott Barrow (GW15) Charlie Lemon (GW15,) Will McGowan (GW17) have all made team of the weeks.
• Jack Maskell is the Quakers top goalscorer this season with eight goals.
• Only Merthyr’s Lewys Twamley (10), Fylde’s Luca Thomas (7), Radcliffe’s Dan Gardner, Worksop’s Joe Leesley and Oxford City’s Tom Scott (6) have more assists than Charlie Lennon (5)
• Darlington (20) have scored the joint most (along with Merthyr) goals in the first half.

Management Preview:

Following The Nash’s win against Worksop on Saturday we heard from Assistant Head Coach Jack Salkeld.

It’s always a tough place to go to, they’ve been picking up some really good results recently – I think they scored in the 90th minute today (Saturday) – so they’ve got great character, a great management team and it’s going to be tough.

Away from home again – I always say it, we’re very good away from home – and they’ll know that and we will recover well now and stick to the game plan that we’ll set out for the lads and we’ll go there with bags of confidence and nothing to lose.

Match Information:

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Matchday: Everything you need to know