Penney wants Quakers to head to Wembley in winning style

2:03am Saturday 17th May 2008

A draw today would earn Darlington the chance to play for a place in League One, but manager Dave Penney insists the only way to reach Wembley is in winning style.

Leading 2-1 following the first leg of the play-offs last Saturday, Quakers will be making their third trip to the national stadium in 13 years if they finish today's tie at Spotland level.

They may have lost under the Twin Towers in 1996 and 2000, against Plymouth and Peterborough respectively, but Darlington won both of their semi-final ties in those campaigns.

Hereford and Hartlepool were the victims and although a draw today would be sufficient, Penney wants Darlington to maintain their winning record in play-off semi-finals.

"We're treating this game like all of our away matches this season and that means we are going to try to win it," said Penney, who has this week overseen Quakers training at Middlesbrough's Hurworth base.

"You can tell by our record that we always try to win our away matches and Saturday is going to be no different.

"I feel we can open most teams up. When we played at Peterborough we scored two goals and I think we can go to most places and get a goal.

"And we know that we can always keep it tight at the back."

Doing that would continue Quakers' good away record this season, the club's best for almost 20 years.

They have collected more points and victories this term - 11 wins and 38 points - than in any season since Brian Little led Darlington to promotion from the GM Vauxhall Conference in 1990.

Last week Penney called on the assistance of his friend and former England manager Steve McClaren, who took charge of a training session, and this week Quakers' boss felt a change of scenery was required.

Normally the squad trains at Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside complex in Chester-le-Street but for the last few days Darlington decamped to Boro's Rockcliffe Park training ground.

Despite the change of venue, Penney says preparations have remained low key and that there's been no talk of appearing at Wembley a week on Monday.

"We're looking forward to Saturday because there's a big prize at stake. I'd much rather we were already promoted and I'd be on my holidays but that's not the case," said Penney, who will be without striker Tommy Wright, which means Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu could start while Pawel Abbott is in the squad.

"Wembley hasn't been mentioned this week in training at all.

"If you start thinking about Wembley now then you'll never get there.

"You've got to concentrate only on this game for 90 minutes, or maybe 120 minutes, and then we'll see where we are when the final whistle blows.

"There won't be a great number of changes, but we know where we're at and we know what we're going to do.

"Guy could start but I'm not sure if he would be able to play the full game because he's not quite fit enough. He's been training twice a day with the physio to try to improve his fitness. "He offers us something a bit different to what we otherwise have.

"He came on last Saturday and could have had a penalty and had an opportunity to put Julian (Joachim) through on goal.

"I was delighted with the way we played. In the second half Rochdale were on top but that late goal gives us something to hold on to. It's something to build on and we will take it into the game."

Alan White has recovered from a dead leg but Ben Parker and Ryan Valentine are both rated as 50-50, so Rob Purdie could switch to left-back, which would create a left-midfield vacancy for either Neil Wainwright or Craig Nelthorpe.

In contrast to Quakers, Rochdale have no new injury worries, while Nathan Stanton returns following a two-game suspension, and Penney is expecting another a tough game. Dale shaded the second half of last week's first leg, and Penney says the midfield battle could be where the game is won and lost.

He said: "David Perkins and Gary Jones are very good players for them in midfield so one of the priorities was to stop them from playing and I think Jason Kennedy and Ricky Ravenhill did that.

"They kept them quiet, which was their first job and an important role to play, especially away from home, but they have proved they can score. "Jason got a goal last week and the week earlier he was credited with a goal at Peterborough, but it came from Ricky's shot.

"Rochdale played just as we thought they would.

"They are a good side and like to get it wide to the two wingers and the striker, Chris Dagnall, causes problems when he drops deep. It was not all that different from the previous league games we have played against them."

After training at Hurworth, Penney said: "Having the chance to use Middlesbrough's world-class facilities has been fantastic.

"The lads have thoroughly enjoyed their preparation.''