Darlington face AFC Telford United at Blackwell Meadows, Darlington, Durham on Saturday, Jan 9 at 4:00 PM in a basement battle that neither side can afford to lose. Both clubs are deep in the relegation picture in the National League – North, and defeat here could prove costly come the end of the season.

Darlington come into this fixture struggling badly (1W 3L in last 4). AFC Telford United travel out of form (0W 2L recently), which may hand the initiative to the hosts.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Darlington and AFC Telford United have split their 10 meetings almost evenly (4W–3D–3W). Their last encounter ended in a 1–1 draw. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 4.2 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: Little separates these two on form or history. Home advantage could be the deciding factor — a narrow Darlington win or a draw looks most likely.