Story by Kevin Luff - 10th March 2006

Darlington entertain Chester City on Saturday at the TFM Darlington Arena and following last week's postponement at Rochdale points need to be placed on the board quickly. Quakers will take on a Chester City side who are badly out of form and sitting near the bottom of the table.

Mark Wright returned to the club after a dismal sequence of results saw Keith Curle move to one side as manager. The change in management hasn't really helped yet. From the last sixteen games in all competitions City have won just once. Darlington boss David Hodgson admits this is a chance to reduce the gap between his own side and the play-off places. Of Quakers' next four games three are at home and the manager knows that his side must take advantage.

"It's vital that we make the most of these games coming up," said Hodgson in the Northern Echo today. "We have a great chance of closing that gap and we must begin with three points against Chester. I'm confident we'll beat them and I'm sure we can do the same against Carlisle. Not every side at the top is going to win their next two games, which I know we're capable of."

Whilst Chester are a million miles away from any sort of form at the moment Darlington are not exactly pulling down plenty of points either. The last three games have all ended in defeats but Hodgson has no problems with the performances Quakers have been displaying. Orient in particular summed up the recent disappointing results. Despite playing well getting the goals to take something from the match proved easier said than done. That could change with the arrival of Jemal Johnson.

"The results haven't gone our way, but I have no problem with the way we've performed," said Hodgson. "We gave everything at Orient and came away with nothing, which has summed up a lot of our games this season. But, you don't get points purely on performances and it's important that we make it count where it matters most. We are creating the chances, and as long as the commitment is there we will win games."

Times have changed for Chester since the entertaining 4-4 at the Deva Stadium. They find themselves in a battle to preserve their league status once again. Things have not been made any easier this week for manager Mark Wright. Rumours coming out of Chester suggest that skipper Michael Branch has left the club after a disagreement over his fitness. There has yet to be any comment officially from Chester but Wright explained why Branch was absent from the squad that drew 1-1 with Torquay United in midweek.

"Michael Branch did not feature because he was ill the day before and the doctor said he was not to be selected. He turned up without letting any of us know, saying he was fit enough," Wright said in the Chester Chronicle. "The doctor tells us he wasn't fit and all of a sudden Michael Branch turns up. If Michael Branch is on top of his game and is a confident player and doing the right things and working hard for the team, then I think he is a major plus. But I think people here at this moment in time have got to understand it's about work ethic, work rate and commitment to the cause and if you do that, then we'll get ourselves out of trouble. But I don't think the penny has dropped with everybody over what situation Chester are in."

Darlington are likely to welcome back skipper Matthew Clarke for this game and Adrian Webster looks likely to be involved in some shape or form. Meanwhile new boy Jemal Johnson seems certain to start. Meanwhile Chester will be without goalkeeper Chris MacKenzie. He is still recovering from a broken thumb. On loan winger Derek Asamoah looks unlikely to be involved in this fixture after he failed to turn up for training this week.

Last ten meetings

2005/06
League 2	Chester City	4-4	Darlington	27-08-05
2004/05
League 2	Darlington	1-0	Chester City	02-04-05
League 2	Chester City	0-3	Darlington	28-08-04
1999/00
Division 3	Chester City	1-2	Darlington	08-01-000
Division 3	Darlington	3-1	Chester City	15-12-99
1998/99
Division 3	Darlington	1-2	Chester City	01-05-99
Division 3	Chester City	1-0	Darlington	12-12-98
1997/98
Division 3	Darlington	1-0	Chester City	13-04-98
Division 3	Chester City	2-1	Darlington	13-12-97
1996/97
Division 3	Darlington	1-1	Chester City	15-03-97

Chester City's last five games