Darlington today play the final game of what was meant to be a congested fixture scheduled but have instead been kicking their heels for most of the Festive period.

They take on Brighouse Town at Heritage Park, two days after the New Year’s Day farce at Kendal Town.

The fixture was abandoned after only 15 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch, referee Paul Kettlewell later admitting the game should not have started.

“There was quite considerable rain between 2.20 and 3pm, but at 2.20pm we decided we’d give [the game] 15 minutes. In hindsight that probably wasn’t the best idea,” he said.

Furthering Darlington’s frustration, Kettlewell booked Alan White for dissent during the 15 minutes and despite the match being abandoned the caution still stands.

Coincidentally, he was also booked during Darlington’s last abandoned game, in December 2007 at Morecambe when the game was stopped after 22 minutes.

Thursday’s abandonment came following three postponed games recently, and it has already been rearranged for Saturday, February 21, a day when Quakers did not have a game planned.

But still to be rearranged is a home match with Lancaster City and trips to New Mills and Farsley, plus the Northwich Victoria away fixture, which was postponed due to Darlington’s progress in the FA Trophy.

Darlington manager Martin Gray fears his team will suffer more fixture problems during the remaining winter months, a prospect made more likely due to drainage issues at Heritage Park.

Although the pitch is in good condition thanks to the money Bishop Auckland spent on it last summer, the ground suffers from poor drainage– Quakers’ home game with Lancaster in late November was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, despite there being no rain on the day of the game.

“No doubt there’ll be more games called off because we’re expecting worse weather to come,” said Gray.

“The one good thing we can say at the moment is that almost everyone is back from suspension and injury so we’ve got a strong squad to prepare for the next game.”

There's be no Amar Purewal today though as the striker is yet to recover from a calf problem sustained late on during the 2-2 draw with Radcliffe Borough on December 20, while Gary Brown’s return depends in whether he has recovered from illness.

He was on the bench at Kendal and took part in the pre-match warm-up, but told Gray he was feeling under the weather.

Also on the bench was Nelson Mota, the diminutive French winger dropping out of the starting line-up from the team which beat Scarborough Athletic 3-0 last time out.

“Horses for courses,” explained Gray, who chose Terry Galbraith in preference to Mota, who’d made his first start against Scarborough on Boxing Day, when he was replaced midway through the second half.

Gray believes there is more to come from Mota, saying that he needs to become part of Quakers’ team ethic.

“He’s got good ability there’s no question about that,” said the manager.

“Every club and every manager has their own style and it’s about the team more than it is the individual – you’ve got to get the balance right and I think he’ll learn that.

“He has to if he’s going to work with us because we’re about a team, not individuals.

“What you do off the ball is as important as what you do on the ball, you’ve got to defend as part of a team as well as attack as a team. You’ve got to have the right mentality across the squad.”

Darlington defeated Brighouse Town 3-1 in October, recovering from going a goal down inside a minute to the West Yorkshire club.