Daleworld met up with assistant boss Dave Flitcroft this morning to welcome him back into the fold after the bereavement of his father and before talking about Saturday's game the first and most important question was "how is he feeling?"

" I am just ready to focus on what I do best, trying to lead and motivate people. It is a distraction from what is going on at home and it is great to be back, to be in and around the lads. I came back on Monday to get the initial impact over with and on Tuesday it built up and the lads have been bubbling all week. We have had a superb week at a great training facility. It is good to back focussing on what we need to do to achieve our goals"

It is easy to say that this is just another game but the truth is that is isn't. We all know the importance of the Play Off's but is Dave's job as a coach to keep a lid on things.

" People might want to make things into a circus but Hilly and myself were determined that this would not happen. We have had a normal week. Have we done anything different? No, apart from being at the same training venue all week. This has really helped us to keep the lads bubbling over but the training schedule has been the same, the food intake has been identical and all the minor details that always follow have remained in place. We want the lads to feel that it is a big game and the club have done everything in their power to take the pressure off the lads regarding tickets and travel arrangements. Everything has been professionally dealt with as it has all season."

No one is kidding anyone. It is a tough tie, Darlington have a squad full of quality players but we have taken 4 points off them and finished in a higher League position so there need be no fear?

" We have no fear going into any games, be it against the top team or the bottom team. That is why we amassed 80 points because we have gone into each game with that "no fear" approach. We want the players to go out and express themselves and we love creativity and expression. I have been at clubs where the shackles have been firmly on players but they are off at this football club with every single player. We play football with that freedom to express and Saturday will be no different"

Dave gets to look directly into the players eyes every day. Are they ready? 

" They have been ready for probably 3 months, dating back to the time when we started a superb run of form and results. The players have wanted the season to keep going and going. As I have said before I have been at a lot of clubs where they can't wait to get on a beach. These boys aren't ready for that yet, not ready for a rest and not ready for letting go. They are ready to have a war and ready to make it"    

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