Darlington face South Shields at Blackwell Meadows, Darlington, Durham on Friday, Mar 26 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 (0W 3L in last 5). South Shields, meanwhile, arrive in mixed form (2W 0D 3L) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Darlington and South Shields have split their 7 meetings almost evenly (3W–2D–2W). Their last encounter ended in South Shields won 0–1.

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