Gray will not rest players (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Gray will not rest players

2:48pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in Darlington FC By Craig Stoddart, Deputy Sports Editor

It's top versus bottom this evening with Darlington with manager Martin Gray promising to field a strong team against relegation-threatened Norton & Stockton Ancients.

The Teessiders are in awful form, having lost ten of their past 11 games with Monday's 6-0 defeat at Penrith taking their tally conceded to 76 in 26 league fixtures.

But asked if would consider giving some of his fringe players a run-out, Gray said: "Not a chance. We will go full strength in every game, I don't care who we're playing against, whether it be top of the league or bottom.

"You've got to start with what you think is your strongest XI. It can bite you on the backside if you don't and you see it all the time in the FA Cup.

"For one thing, it's disrespectful. I know it's one way of giving someone a game, but it's not in my mentality."

A fortnight ago, Penrith put up stubborn resistance at Heritage Park until a late Terry Galbraith scored a late penalty, awarded after a foul on Stephen Thompson, but he is suspended this evening.

Thompson is unavailable after being suspended for one game by the Durham FA, who found him guilty of bringing the game into disrepute regarding comments made on a social media network in November.

The incident occurred following Quakers' game at West Auckland, and West's Paul Garthwaite has also been suspended for one game for the same reason.

Thompson only played the first 45 minutes of Saturday's win at Newcastle Benfield, as Gray took an opportunity to give some players a breather during Darlington's eighth successive win.

"He's suspended, but that's why you have a squad," said Gray. "He'd be a loss to anyone's team, but we've got good players and that's why I wanted to get substitutes on to the pitch early to give them a bit of time in preparation for Wednesday.

"We were able to take Joe Tait off and rest him and were also able to take Thompson off and give Stevie Johnson a bit of time. Darren Richardson came on and he did really well.

"It was good to get all three subs on quite early and let them get some football. There weren't any injuries, we were just looking after everybody."

Kerry Hedley will again be in the squad. The Darlington-born teenage forward last week joined on loan from Hartlepool United and was an unused sub at the weekend.

Having played only three home games in three months, this evening's fixture marks the first of three in eight days at Heritage Park. Guisborough visit on Saturday and then Shildon next week.