Cooper's Quakers face Gateshead three times in 12 days this month

Darlington boss Mark Cooper says he will not entertain talk of the club's FA Trophy semi-final until the next two league fixtures are out of the way.

The Quakers have league matches against Cambridge and Trophy opponents Gateshead to play before the first-leg encounter at the Arena on 12 March.

"A slap round the face is only round the corner," Cooper told BBC Tees.

"The players have got to make sure they do well enough to stay in the team for the semi-final."

Darlington's run to the FA Trophy semi-finals has coincided with a seven match unbeaten run, that includes a 6-1 defeat of Eastbourne Borough as well as Tuesday's 4-0 hammering of Fleetwood.

"We've got to try to keep it going, there's no reason why we can't," Cooper said.

"We look as though we're full of confidence at the moment, and we've had to replace a couple of frontline players and the lads who have come in have done really well.

"The squad's looking good, we've got a game on Saturday against a team [Cambridge] we beat the other week and we have a realistic chance of winning.

"Everybody wants to play and everyone is disappointed when they don't."

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