Despite losing a third of their matches and being one of the lowest scoring teams in the top half of the division, Darlington today find themselves in the play-off zone and still in contention for an automatic promotion spot at the season's end.

That probably says as much about how closely-matched League Two is as it does about Quakers' current position.

But that Darlington have still to find a winning formula, a formation and team selection that stands out above all others is heartening because it suggests, perhaps, the best is yet to come. But it provides a sobering reminder that Quakers could easily be much higher in the table than the seventh place in which they find themselves after Saturday's win over Bury courtesy of Bobby Petta's debut winner.

Had the ideal XI emerged sooner - there's only 15 games to go and the side still isn't settled - then Darlington would surely have gelled and fused together a formidable team capable of stringing together unbeaten runs of more than just five games at a time, which is their best effort so far this season.

All season manager David Hodgson and his assistant Mark Proctor have tinkered with both team selection and formation as 3-5-2, 4-4-2 and 3-4-3 have all been used and although injuries and suspensions have played their part, on only one occasion has the starting XI from the previous game been kept.

Proctor prefers to play four at the back, Hodgson doesn't, but having attracted four of the biggest names at League Two level, to paraphrase the Eric Morecambe joke, Darlington have been playing all the right players, not necessarily in the right order.

But with Proctor in charge for the day as the manager was ill, come 4.45pm on Saturday Hodgson may have been laughing at the irony of winning at Bury using the 4-4-2 formation that his assistant prefers.

"We always were going to play 4-4-2 which I was quite surprised at," admitted Proctor.

"But it was ironic because after ten minutes I couldn't believe what was happening, I was thinking 'oh God, should I change it back to 3-5-2'!

"But I wanted to give the system a chance during that period of play and it worked in the end.

"The back four were terrific. We haven't played with four at the back for most of the season but we were prepared for it after some work in training last week and it worked very well, apart from that first 20 minute spell."

With a squad that has been growing in number since the start of the season Quakers certainly have options and on Saturday 19 players travelled to Bury including latest addition, Petta while Joey Hutchinson made the trek as a non-playing member of the party as he edges closer to a return.

Darlington again shuffled their pack with Petta starting in his natural left wing position, Joe Kendrick provided the Dutchman's support from left-back, while Brian Close returned to the centre of midfield as replacement for the rested Neil Maddison and Craig Hignett dropped to the bench.

Close was certainly an improvement on Ryan Valentine's inclusion in the centre of midfield at Southend last week and while it may surprise some to see Hignett on the bench Darlington have a large squad and are flexible enough to change formations, as they've demonstrated.

Physio Paul Gough has been kept occupied this season with a constant stream of crocks heading for his treatment room, so it's probably just as well Quakers have decent size squad.

Craig Liddle, David McGurk and Craig Russell have all just returned from knocks but Curtis Fleming, Adrian Webster and Ian Clark are all still out while Clark Keltie, initially thought to be out for only a few weeks, has now been ruled out for six months with cruciate ligament damage.

But Steven Thomas is ready to return shortly and with Maddison eager to get back into the fold after being rested at Gigg Lane, Hodgson has yet more tough decisions to make.

The injuries may have made team selection a little easier, but the eventual return of the aforementioned players is going to swell numbers and perhaps it's inevitable that some will be leaving the club eventually.

But until then Darlington need to find their best starting XI if they're to capitalise on still being involved in the play-off shake-up with 15 games to go, despite chopping and changing all season.

It's too early to say that sticking with four at the back is the answer, especially so as Quakers' weekend win came at a team placed only 18th, but with games against high-flying Swansea and Yeovil to come, Darlington had better find some answers quickly.

Read more about the Quakers here.