Darlington face Marine at Blackwell Meadows, Darlington, Durham on Saturday, Jan 16 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). Marine are struggling badly (1W 3L in last 4), making this a relatively even contest on current form. Darlington head into this on the back of a defeat, while Marine arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Darlington and Marine have split their 8 meetings almost evenly (3W–2D–3W). Their last encounter ended in Marine won 3–2. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.8 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.