There was a huge sense of relief on the last day of the season a year ago as Quakers had just carried out their own version of the Great Escape, but there is more of a sense of anticipation this time round.
Darlington finished last season in 16th position with 56 points, and no matter what today’s result will be, they are going to finish the current campaign in 11th with at least 66 points.
“Yes, there’s an improvement on last season,” said Mitchell, who is Darlington’s assistant boss. “We’d have liked a few more points if truth be known. We’ve asked ourselves are we really happy with it?
“Our goals for are the 11th best in the league, and we do think our goals for will be an area that we need to improve upon for next season.
“We’d like to create more chances for goals. The whole team has to contribute next season. We’ve got to aim for 75, we’ve got 58 at the moment.
“Our goals against is about the same position in the league. We’ve had some good defensive performances, but poor individual errors have caused us to lose games.
“The lads have given us everything, they really work hard and are a good bunch, but we need more quality in the final third. I still think we can improve.”
Mitchell and manager Steve Watson have already started planning for next season. Several players complete their contracts after today’s game and talks are planned, while a list of targets has been drawn up.
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“We’ve got a big list, and we’ve already started on it,” said Mitchell. “There’s a lot of work to be done, although as a team, I don’t think we’re far away. If both ends improve by ten to 15 per cent, then next season that will get us into the play-offs.”
In the meantime, Quakers are looking for their 11th home win of the season. The number of home draws – nine – is one of the reasons why they’ve finished outside the top seven.
“We want to go out with the best performance we can get for the fans to reward them for their loyal support throughout the season,” added Mitchell. “You always think about the last game that you’ve played, and people want to do better than what they’ve done. We want to enjoy a win, even though we won’t get into the play-offs as a result.
“We will be doing everything exactly as we do for any other game. We’ve trained as usual and we’ve studied their last two matches. We know Needham’s strengths and we’ll be working on the areas that we know we need to get better.”
Goalkeeper Peter Jameson, who was forced to miss Monday’s defeat at Scarborough because of a shoulder injury, could be fit, which will mean Middlesbrough loanee Shea Connor will drop out.
Midfielder Caden Kelly is available again after having a trial at Football League club Wycombe.
