WHILE York City may well be the form team in the Vanarama National League North at present, Darlington are surely not too far behind them in that particular contest.

York return to the LNER Community Stadium tomorrow evening on a run of eight unbeaten matches in all competitions and are one of just three clubs who have picked up four wins from their last five league games.

The only other two sides on the same run are division leaders Gateshead and Tuesday's opponents Darlington (7.45pm).

Last month, Darlington notably picked up wins over play-off-sitting AFC Fylde and Chorley, which has been complemented by victories over Chester and Blyth Spartans as well as a draw at Gloucester City.

Darlington’s run of form is one that few outside their own camp would have seen coming, having lost all of their previous four up until that point.

Back in late January, now-third-from-bottom AFC Telford United thrashed Darlington 5-0 while Guiseley, who are second-from-bottom, defeated the Quakers 1-0 a fortnight later.

Since then, Darlo have emerged as potential dark horses for the top seven, despite their current standing in 11th, a position inherited from York.

Should they prove triumphant in North Yorkshire, they would move level on 43 points with City, although the Minstermen would still have three matches in hand.

Clearly Darlington are a side well in form, but, it should be pointed out, they remain a team that lost more times than they have won this season in the league.

From 30 matches, 12 defeats have followed in comparison to just 11 wins.

With less than a dozen games to go after this latest round for Darlington, a win for City may well severely damage the promotion hopes of, it not quite completely knock out, a fellow play-off rival.