DARLINGTON this evening stage the first of two cup ties in four days, though Saturday’s FA Trophy tie is of much greater significance to manager Martin Gray.

His team travels to St Neots Town for a second round qualifying fixture, a match that sees tonight’s less than prestigious Doodson Sport Cup game pale into insignificance.

Whitby Town visit Heritage Park (7.45pm) and Quakers have reduced admission prices to £6 for adults and £4 concessions.

“It’ll be the youth team on Wednesday. It’s a competition that doesn’t interest me,” said straight-talking Gray. “Our focus now is Saturday.

“It’s a massive game for us and we’ll go down there with the same mentality as our league matches – to win the game.”

Gray would like to adopt the same approach to the one used for the Durham Challenge Cup game at Spennymoor Town last month, when the club’s under-18s were used with only reserve keeper Mark Bell a recognisable from the first-team squad.

League rules state, however, that clubs must select eight players either in the starting XI or on the bench that have been named in matchday 16 over the last five league matches.

Teenagers Matthew Lovegreen, Adam Cocks, Lewis Scarr and Matty Pennal all fall into this category, as does David Mitchell who came off the bench in the closing stages of Saturday’s 3-0 win at Mossley to make his first appearance of the season.

A year ago Gray selected a strong first XI at home to Blyth Spartans in the first round of the Doodson Sport Cup and the outcome was a 5-1 win, but that was at a time when league results had been poor, so the manager wanted a win to lift morale.

In the next round, by which time form had improved with three league victories, he made eight changes and Quakers lost 3-1 to Ossett Town.

Whitby, tenth in the division above Darlington, have won three of their last four league games, scoring 11 goals in the process.

There's a free four-page programme for the match, although donations would be accepted. Car park passes will not be valid and parking at Heritage Park will be on a first come, first served basis.