Story by Kevin Luff - 28th April 2006

Darlington take on Wycombe Wanderers this weekend at the Causeway Stadium knowing that they need a win just to have an outside chance of making the play-offs. Thanks to the defeat against Bury last weekend this is the situation Quakers find themselves in. Defeat would realistically see the end of Darlington's season however the eternal optimist will say that the race for the play-offs has been littered with inconsistent teams so it is not yet inconceivable that there will be another surprise twist tomorrow afternoon.

Whether this happens or not remains to be seen. Regardless of the play-offs Darlington could do with two positive results in the final games, along with a positive performance, to avoid leaving a sour taste in the mouth of supporter's over the summer months. Wycombe are all but in the play-offs. The Chairboys need just a single point to secure their place in the top seven. It is a seventh place they should have clinched long ago.

An alarming run of form during March and April saw Wycombe slip from a second place spot in the division and blow what had seemed an almost certain automatic promotion spot. It was this bad string of results that saw Wycombe manager John Gorman step aside. The Chairboys granted the manager compassionate leave. It has been an extremely hard few months for Gorman who saw his wife Myra pass away in February. The manager says he needs time and space to get back to normal.

Thanks to the unfortunate sequence of events it means that Wycombe's promotion hopes are now being guided by assistant manager Steve Brown, first team coach Keith Ryan and Terry Evans. The short term reshuffle appears to have worked as last weekend Wycombe recorded their first win in seven games - albeit against lowly Rushden & Diamonds. Darlington boss David Hodgson however is hoping to ensure that the recent success the Chairboys experience is held at bay again.

"We are going down to a club who has won one in seven and we have to make sure that becomes one in eight," said the Darlington manager earlier in the week. "What they do thereafter is of no concern to us. We then have to come back here, hopefully with three points in the bag, and go into the last game saying we might do what Hartlepool did in 99/00, sneak in through the back door."

Darlington could be without the services of Jemal Johnson. The on-loan Blackburn Rovers forward has damaged ligaments and as a result is doubtful for the match. In better news however Carlos Logan is in the frame for a return following his double hernia operation. The winger was expected to miss the remainder of the season but is pushing for an inclusion in the team this weekend. "It's good to have Carlos back. We've missed him because when he's on form he is unplayable at this level. He's young and inconsistent, and must work on maintaining his standards, because when he's on form he's dynamic," said Proctor in the evening Gazette today.

Following the success at Nene Park last week Wanderers look set to continue with the same side. That means Ian Stonebridge and Tommy Mooney will keep their place up front although Charlie Griffin could be pushing for an inclusion. So too will all other members of the Wanderers squad as there are no fresh injury worries. The only player to miss out is Sergio Torres is nursing ankle injury.

Previous meetings with Wycombe

Wycombe's last five games