Darlington face Bedford Town at Blackwell Meadows, Darlington, Durham on Saturday, Dec 19 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). Bedford Town are struggling badly (1W 3L in last 4), making this a relatively even contest on current form.

History strongly favours Darlington here — they've won 3 of 3 previous meetings against Bedford Town. Their last encounter ended in Bedford Town won 2–3. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 4.7 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Darlington a slight edge, but Bedford Town are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.