Stop giving teams a head start – boss

Mar 29 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

DARLINGTON manager Dave Penney has told his team to start games like they have been ending them recently.

The Quakers entertain Bradford City in League Two today desperate not to give their opponents the kind of head start their last three rivals have been gifted.

Darlington conceded the first two goals in their matches against Grimsby, Chester City and Morecambe and Penney is anxious it should not happen a fourth time.

“We’ve been solid defensively but in the last three games we’ve gone 2-0 down,” he noted. “It would be nice to start with a clean sheet and build on that, which was our strength at the beginning of the season.”

Nevertheless, the Yorkshireman can at least take heart from the fact his team has managed to win one and draw another of the three games.

“It shows great character from us to come back,” he said. “We have got ourselves in a position that we can achieve something. We are a point behind third with the same games. They (Hereford United) have got to come here. It’s in our hands. There are a lot more twists and turns to come.”

Penney’s major concern is over Tommy Wright. The striker is 50-50 to face the Bantams after coming off 64 minutes into Monday’s 2-2 draw against Morecambe with a hip injury.

Meanwhile winger Joe Colbeck has thanked Darlington for resurrecting his Bradford career. The 21-year-old spent six games at Darlington Arena earlier this season and he admitted: “It did me the world of good at Darlington. I definitely think it has made me a better player.

“When you’re asked to go on loan you always think the worst. The gaffer (Stuart McCall) said it was only short-term to get me some confidence but in the back of my mind I was still wondering if I would ever play for Bradford again.

“But I went into my first game with Darlington thinking the pressure was off. That’s when you play your best football. Now my confidence is high and I’m going into games thinking about scoring.”