Same again says Gray ahead of cup replay

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Posted at 07:30 PM GMT, Tuesday, 18th November 2008

Darlington assistant manager Martin Gray is looking for the team to take the same battling qualities and commitment into their FA Cup replay with Droylsden tonight. Quakers drew 0-0 when the team's first met but since then Gray has seen the squad turn in a superb performance against Lincoln City.

Quakers were reduced to ten men for much of the game following Steve Fosters' red card. Despite this they managed to score twice in the second half to record another important victory. Gray is now hoping Darlington can show the same again in the FA Cup against the Bloods.

"It is a very important game to us because we want to progress in the FA Cup. It is so important that we take the same drive, performance and attitude that we showed in the match against Lincoln City into this game with Droylsden. We can't take them lightly and we will not be underestimating them," said Gray on BBC Tees.

"We will go into this one full of confidence following the game at the weekend. All of the players were in the Sunday following that match to start preparing for the FA Cup trip. We could easily have given everyone a day off following that but we didn't. Our preparations started straight away."

"We are in a great position in the league but it is still very early in the season. There is a lot of work still to do. We are happy to be there, of course we are, but we also want to stay at the top. For now though we are focusing on the FA Cup and Droylsden because we want to get through."

Darlington showed a tremendous team performance at the weekend to dispatch the Imps. Rchie Foran and Liam Hatch scored the decisive goals and Gray was quick to praise the forward line - particularly Foran.

Foran signed for Darlington in late October. His loan spell from Southend United comes after the Irishman spent an impressive spell with the club last season. That however was ended prematurely due to injury. Foran has returned and despite been all but frozen out of the first team at Roots Hall he has looks a good signing for Quakers.

"I think Richie Foran did fantastically well. Since he left us last season he hasn't had a real run of games. Lincoln was a big test for him, especially when we went down to ten men and he had to dig in. Him and Liam Hatch used their experience so well."

"The two finishes were both excellent from the forwards and you have to remember Hatch has missed a fortnight's worth of football. Those two, like everyone else in the team on Saturday, put a real shift in for us," said Gray.