Carling Cup preview: Paul Heckingbottom will dish out no favours in his second reunion in four days.

Having silenced one old club, Norwich, with City's late show, he comes face to face tonight with another in the Carling Cup.

Heckingbottom spent four years with Darlington, the last season as captain. But he promises there will be no old pals' act as the Bantams look to launch a rare cup run.

Heckingbottom said: "It feels very strange to be playing another of my old clubs straight after Norwich and I'm really looking forward to it.

"A couple of their lads have already rung me and it will be a massive game for them. Darlington are under no pressure at all so they can come here and enjoy themselves.

"Being the Third Division side, they've got nothing to lose and will treat this almost as a bonus game. It's not the league so it's possibly not the most important result for them but we have to be careful."

It will be City's first home tie since January 2001, ending a run of six successive cup clashes on the road.

They last played Darlington in the same competition in 2000, strolling it 8-2 on aggregate after a thumping 7-2 second leg at the Bradford & Bingley Stadium.

Heckingbottom has vivid memories of that night even though he was not playing.

"I missed the game after getting injured in the first leg. In fact, that virtually put me out for the season.

"But I was here watching it and it was very painful from a Darlington point of view. Gary Bennett, the manager at the time, rested a few lads because he didn't fancy us to go through anyway.

"You couldn't make any excuses for it though. We really did get battered."

Now the boot is firmly on the other foot for Heckingbottom - and he has no intention of getting bitten by the underdogs.

He said: "You want to win every game and hopefully we can keep our form going from Saturday.

"It was a good point for us against Norwich pegging them back like that. We finished on a high and now we want to build on that by starting tonight's game just as strongly.

"The aim is to build up the momentum and start doing the right things.

"It upsets the lads when you hear people tipping you to struggle; nobody wants to be seen like that. I understand it wasn't a really happy time here last year but hopefully we can turn that round.

"I think we've got a good squad here and don't forget we have a lot of injuries as well. When those lads start coming back it will only strengthen us more.

"Games like Saturday's will help and hopefully we can put in a strong performance against Darlington. We want to make Valley Parade a place where no visiting team wants to enjoy playing."