Darlington are hoping to host their first league game since October this weekend when they entertain Ilkeston FC and continue their chase for their third promotion in four years.

Quakers gave themselves a huge boost when they won 1-0 at league leaders Blyth on Monday, and now manager Martin Gray wants to build on that victory.

"We must continue our momentum. We have played six away games in league and cup since we last played at home, and we have stayed in touch with the leading group in the league. We have a great opportunity to go on from here, and gain our third promotion in four years.

"The players came in for training on Wednesday night, and they know that they have to continue producing performances such as the one at Blyth.

"They have set their standards again and I expect them to be maintained.

"We're all really looking forward to playing at home again. We have had some great support in the last two months away from home, and now we want to reward our supporters with a good home performance."

The bad weather has meant that the Quakers have only played three league games in total in the last two months. Darlington will be looking to start 2016 in style having ended 2015 with victory over Blyth Spartans. Lee Gaskell secured a 1-0 success over the league leaders which reduced the gap between the two sides to nine points, with Darlington still having three games in hand.

The Darlington team at Blyth

Darlington: Jameson, Hunter, Galbraith, P Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Mitchell, Scott, Gaskell (sub Dowson 65), Cartman (sub Portas 60), Thompson (sub Armstrong 60)

Subs: Nowakowski, Provett

Since victory at Blyth, Wilson Kneeshaw has been made available for transfer by the club.

Ilkeston travel to Heritage Park sitting in ninth place in the league table, five points behind Darlington. They have won just one of their last five league games, a victory over bottom of the table Ramsbottom United. Their most recent game was a 1-0 defeat at home to Matlock Town.  They have won three of their ten away games so far.

Their latest form:

December 28th: Matlock (home) lost 0-1

1 Evandro Rachoni 2 Danny Gordon (14 Lewis Walker 77) 3 Oliver Luto 4 Jordan Wheatley 5 Matt Baker 6 Joe Burgess 7 Joe Doyle 8 JJ Blake (15 Dexter Atkinson 68) 9 Danny Udoh 10 Eli Bako 11 Lee Ndlovu

Subs not used: 12 Liam Marshall 16 Haydn Goddard 17 Charlie Coulson

December 26th: Mickleover Sports (away) drew 1-1 Baker

December 19th: Marine (home) drew 0-0

December 5th: Ramsbottom (home) won 3-0. Ndlovu, Williams, Udoh

November 28th: Workington (away) lost 2-3. Ndlovu, Doyle

November 21st: Hyde United (home) won 3-1. Udoh 2, Ndlovu.

The sides met in the reverse fixture in September, when a Terry Galbraith goal earned Darlington a 1-1 draw. Chris Hunter was also sent off during the game.

Kick-off at Heritage Park on Saturday is 3pm. Updates on the game will be made from the club’s Facebook, Twitter and phone app, and there will be a match report on the official website.

Happy New Year from all at Darlington FC!