Richie Foran speaks to the Quaker matchday magazine. This article was originally printed in the Darlington v Bury on January 12th.

Forward Richie Foran sees no reason to be worried by Darlington's under-par Christmas period. Quakers drew against Rotherham on Boxing Day and despite being the better side against league leaders MK Dons ended up losing by a single goal. A surprise 3-1 defeat against Rochdale followed on New Year's day as Quakers slipped down the table. However the referee played a large part in that one.

Darlington however have three games in hand on teams around them and Foran believes today's game against Bury is an important encounter. The former Motherwell and Carlisle United player points out that supporters should not get too worried about recent games but believes the coming weeks could play an important part in Quakers' season. With several games over a short period it is hard to disagree with him.

"If we get the right results in our games in hand then you can forget what happened over Christmas. I watched the MK Dons game from the stand and we were a far better team but we just couldn't score. We can take a lot of confidence out of that game. We have six or seven games coming up and we can pick up a lot of points. The next month is crucial. The game against Bury is really important as we don't want to be too far off the top three or four. I think today is a really big game for us," said Foran.

"Momentum is so crucial. We have to pick ourselves up from the Rochdale game but that was just one match. Since I've been here we have been excellent and it is how we bounce back now. The team spirit is excellent and it is the best I have been around. The squad is talented enough and the manager is good enough so this club is heading in the right direction. I honestly believe we can get promotion this season."

"Top teams like Manchester United suffer in the odd game. It happens to everyone and it is how you bounce back. We have a home game against Bury today and it is crucial we get to winning ways and get a run going again," he continued.

Foran arrived at Darlington on loan in November. The twenty-six-year-old Irishman signed for a £200,000 fee from Motherwell on the final day of the January transfer window to join Southend United but of late a starting place has been hard to come by down South. After battling to nail down a regular place in the starting eleven at Roots Halls the straight talking forward elected to make the long move North and he hasn't regretted it.

"I was asked to go to three or four clubs before Darlington came along but I really wanted to battle back into the Southend team. A couple of months later I wasn't really getting a look in. Darlington came in and I decided to ask around a few people and find something out and straight away everyone said 'go for it'. The manager was highly recommended after what he did at Doncaster. I hope I can stay a bit longer because I am really enjoying my football and its one of the happiest I have been for a long time," he said.

"That is all down to the management team and the players. The training is good and you look forward to coming in every morning. Everything I've heard has been right. I can't say a bad word about the place, everyone is really friendly. I was nervous at first and I wondered what it would be like but these are a great bunch of lads. They have made me feel very welcome and that is down to the manager, he has bought in the right players and got this good atmosphere."

Foran can also play left wing which is where he has been employed for the majority of his stay with the club. It is something else he has few complaints about. "I have only played up front once and to be honest that is where I prefer to play. I think I can do a little more there for the team but it is not a problem. Wherever the manager wants me to play is good. At the end of the day playing football is job number one. I will never complain about playing anywhere because I have the best job in the world," he said.

Kevin Luff