EXPERIENCED Steve Yates believes Town can re-ignite their play-off challenge over the holiday fixtures.

The 33-year-old centre-back, who returned to the starting line-up against Oxford, feels the trip to Darlington on Boxing Day (3.00) is ideal to try and improve miserable away form.

Yates is well aware Town have slipped to 11th place thanks to seven defeats out of eight on their travels, but he views Friday's test against the second-bottom club as a perfect chance to finally give the long- suffering fans some away-day cheer.

"We have the best away support I've ever known in my career - it's fantastic - and we've now got to concentrate on putting in some performances for them and getting some points away from the McAlpine," said the summer signing from Sheffield United.

"It is a brand new ground up there, but Darlington are struggling and hopefully we can have a nice Christmas at their expense before we come back to the McAlpine to play Bury and Doncaster.

"We always feel confident of picking up points at home, so three on Friday would give us a big incentive to string a run together and get right back into the thick of things."

Town, whose sole away win came at Southend, where Danny Schofield scored a last-gasp goal, are only four points adrift of seventh place, but the table is tight and Yates accepts these next few games are vital for manager Peter Jackson's squad.

"Our home form has promotion written all over it, so if we can just do more on our travels we will be right in there," said Yates.

"We made a decent recovery against Oxford because at Macclesfield we let ourselves down, the fans down and the manager down.

"I thought we showed a lot of character against Oxford, worked hard and turned in a very good performance - one which we owed to the gaffer.

"We certainly look a different side at home than we do away and if we knew exactly why that was the case we would have put it right by now.

"I think we've just got to show the same level of commitment, believe we can pick up points away from home and that's when we'll start moving up the table, because we are not going to lose too many games at the McAlpine."

Yates is still rueing the late chance which he volleyed wide in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Ian Atkins' side.

"I don't remember them creating much, but we forced quite a lot of chances and I thought we did excellently," he said.

"We were especially good in the first half, but then I had that late chance and I'm a bit disappointed not to have scored.

"The wind was swirling around and I just wanted to keep the shot down, but it just seemed to guide itself away from goal.

"I've been wishing it was Steady on the end of it instead of me, but I suppose you could say that at least I got in the right place to hit it."

Having been recalled for the first time in seven matches, Yates is now hoping to keep his place in the side and to help Town tighten their defensive record in away games.

"The lads have been doing reasonably well and it's only right that people should keep their places, but I do want to have a run in the side now that I'm back," he explained.

"I know that everyone in the squad wants to play as much as I do, so it's a matter of being patient and I have no problems with sitting it out when people are doing well, even though it can get a bit frustrating.

"All you can do is train hard, do as well as you can in the Reserves and wait for a chance, and then you've got to take it when it comes along.

"All I want to do is play as well as I can for the manager and the fans."