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DARLINGTON attend a promotion party today but will be playing the part of reluctant guests as Peterborough, not the Quakers, celebrate elevation to League One.

Over 12,000 Posh fans are expected to bask in the glory of promotion, meaning play-off bound Darlington must grin and bear it as they wait for their own chance to enjoy a long-awaited promotion.

Supporters are keeping their fingers crossed that will come at Wembley on May 26, though several hundred will be at London Road today having previously hoped the game would be Quakers' last in League Two.

Instead it will determine whether they play Rochdale or Stockport in the play-offs having already blown a great chance of a top-three finish thanks a rash of injuries that manager Dave Penney has labelled "frightening."

Including Martin Smith, who has now been released, and Richie Foran, who has gone back to Southend, Darlington are without ten injured players who might otherwise have featured today.

Plus, Ben Parker is suspended and Penney will make changes today as he bids to protect key players such as Steve Foster and Tommy Wright.

Fifteen-year-old Curtis Main comes into contention to become the club's youngest ever player and Penney says, if he plays, the striker would not be phased on a day Quakers' boss wants to gatecrash Posh's party.

"We're going to try and spoil the party," he said. "They're promoted so it's near to a sell-out and there'll be a party atmosphere so we're going to go down there and try and spoil it."

Penney has avoided blaming injuries for Darlington's decline - their recent record is five defeats in eight winless games - but he admitted questioning his methods when attempting to fathom the constant stream of injuries.

He said: "It's getting stupid now. It's scary. Without a shadow of a doubt it's the worse I've come across in my career. It's been one thing after another.

"When we played at Chesterfield two weeks ago we thought we came through it OK, then it turned out Ryan Valentine and Rob Purdie were injured.

"We've questioned everything, including training. Are we doing the right training? Are we doing the right warm-ups before matches? But a lot of the injuries have been in games.

"Pawel Abbott and Andy Oakes had injuries in warm-ups, but when you ask them later they say they've been carrying the injury for a while.

"You question everything you do. But I did the same things at my previous club and similar when I was a player. We certainly don't do anything to warrant the number of injuries we've had, and they've not all been one specific injury either.

"Julian Joachim's was an ankle at Stockport and Pawel's latest injury was a hamstring at Chester.

"The number of games have probably caught up with us. We had nine games in 32 days over March and April."

Ryan Valentine (knee) and Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu (groin) are still carrying injuries so do not travel today but are expected to return in time for the first leg of the play-offs, while Joachim has almost recovered from his ankle problem.

Penney said: "He could probably play but I don't want another Pawel Abbott on my hands."

Abbott made his return last Saturday but after 15 minutes pulled up with a recurrence of his hamstring strain and, along with Neil Austin and Gregg Blundell, is not expected back again this season.

Penney added: "Just to get them through training sessions we just have to be really careful with them and not allow any physical contact.

"We gave them a couple of days off to keep them fresh because we're at a stage of the season where you're not going to get the players any fitter. You don't want to work them too hard in case of injuries.

"We've probably just got enough players to get 16 out.

We've just got to get on with it and forget about the ones that aren't going to come back before the end of the season.

"Hopefully Julian, Ryan and Guy will be back for the play-offs.

The team that plays on Saturday won't be the one that starts the first game in the play-offs.

"I would like to rest some - the likes of Foster and Wright - but they are going to have to travel to Peterborough because we haven't got the bodies."

* Darlington supporters are reminded that no tickets can be bought at London Road today.

Quakers released a statement yesterday saying: "There will be no tickets on sale at Peterborough United tomorrow."

Tickets were on sale at the Arena until 5pm yesterday.

9:44am Saturday 3rd May 2008

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