Darlington are disappointed with attendances this season, the chairman is ready to sell-up and manager David Hodgson says crowds have "struggled". But is it really any wonder they aren't any higher?

Saturday's home defeat, their fifth this season, must rank as one of the worst performances of the campaign and yet again it came following a win away from home the previous game.

Six times Darlington have won on opposition territory this season, and only twice have they backed that up with a win in the following fixture at the Williamson Motors Stadium.

This inconsistency has been a ugly characteristic of Darlington's roller-coaster season and the inability to capitalise on away wins does little to maintain the attentions of the floating fans who dip in and out of matches depending on form.

Whether star names such as Hignett, Petta, Armstrong and Wijnhard are in the team or not, and regardless of the commendable fan-friendly initiatives, supporters will only turn up in numbers to watch a winning team.

And right now Darlington are struggling to become the top team that their big names suggest they're capable of being.

One week they look capable of mounting a serious promotion bid, the next they can't string two passes together.

The season has only 14 games remaining but whether Quakers finish closer to either seventh or 17th is still anyone's guess.

At half-time on Saturday, and at 1-0 up despite rarely getting out of first gear, another three points looked to be on the way.

But then a disastrous second half followed and supporters can't decide whether to prepare for a trip to Cardiff for the play-off final, or begin looking ahead to a 14th consecutive season in the same division.

Darlington may have been in play-off contention most of the season but only fleetingly have supporters felt involved in a promotion push.

The buzz that surrounds a football club in such times evaporated among Darlington fans at Wembley in 2000 and, despite this season's progress, it hasn't really resurfaced - and that's due to the inability to put together a good run of form.

The club would prefer a feel-good factor around the club and less of the pessimistic attitude that permeates through those doubting Darlington's ability to last the pace, if only to attract more supporters having budgeted for gates of 5,000.

But Quakers have now lost only two games fewer than they've won and there's no way anyone can put a positive spin on Saturday's display.

Regardless of what the club hoped and planned for, they are attracting the crowds they deserve.

The truth is, considering the patchy form, Quakers' crowds this season - averaging 4,100 - are about as good as could be expected and they certainly compare favourably with previous years.

Chairman Stewart Davies, described as a businessman first and Darlington chairman second, is known to be disappointed with attendances. But a quick look at the average gates in previous seasons illustrates that to ever hope for an average of 5,000 was always going to be optimistic.

Last season's average was 5,000 but that included those with free season tickets while Darlington may have attracted 5,500 in their last play-off season - 1999/2000 - but back then some fans were paying just a third of today's prices.

Crowds are still higher than they were in the last three seasons at Feethams and they're almost double those seen in the first play-off season, 1995/96.

Besides the football itself, the Williamson Motors Stadium is not always the most attractive of venues, despite the various cost-cutting incentives the club have offered.

Although no fault of the fans, none of whom asked for a 25,000 all-seater stadium, the sterile atmosphere that a less than fifth-full arena does little to entertain.

And no matter what the weather's doing anywhere else in the North-East, at the WMS thermals are always advised because you can always guarantee two meteorological conditions: cold and windy.

Never more so than on Saturday when sackfuls of litter blew around the pitch, making the place almost as scruffy as Darlington's performance.

And don't forget, Quakers' relatively new home means they've forever lost those that would pop down to Feethams because the ground was easy to reach. These days supporters must plan a weekend around a Darlington home game.

Credit to the club, they've poured resourses into the squad with the aim of moving up the table - speculate to accumulate goes the phrase - and they'd be justified in feeling frustrated at the crowd figures.

But not as frustrated as those supporters who paid £15 to watch a performance that even Hodgson labelled a shambles.

Until now Quakers have managed to get away with their patchy form but their next five matches will have a major say in the outcome of the season.

This Saturday, Darlington are at Wycombe (who've suffered one defeat in the last six) followed by fixtures with third-placed Swansea, Leyton Orient (where Darlington haven't win since 1966), Boston (one place behind Quakers) and top-of-the-table Yeovil.

Once those fixtures are out of the way Darlington will have a much better idea of what crowd figures to expect for the remainder of the season.

Read more about the Quakers here.