FORMER Charlton forward Kim Grant was on target last night as he made his bid to end David Hodgson's search for a goalscorer.

Grant became the tenth striker to be used by Hodgson in pre-season and it took him just three minutes to make his mark in last night's friendly with Leeds United at the New Stadium.

The 31-year-old scored the opener in a 4-2 defeat which brought an end to Quakers' unbeaten run in pre-season.

And, with the new campaign just over a week away, Grant joins Sebastien Ferrero, Ibrahima Ndiaye and Aron Wilford in a quartet of players hoping to prove they are good enough to fill Barry Conlon's boots.

Despite Hodgson's weekend admission that Ndiaye and Wilford were unlikely to secure long-term deals, he was willing to hand the pair further chances to impress before a healthy crowd of 5,872 last night.

"We are continuing to monitor and we are continuing to look around,'' said assistant boss Mark Proctor.

"We have another game against Peterborough coming up on Saturday and we will take another look at the four lads.

"We've earmarked two slots for a couple of strikers and there is a good chance we'll be taking a look at a couple more next week.

"I thought Kim Grant made a terrific start and he took his goal well.

"We've had a good pre-season and this is the first loss against a side who are two divisions above.

"I thought we gave a good account of ourselves apart from some isolated spells of poor defending.''

And Proctor was also quick to defend Quakers keeper Michael Price, who was at fault for two goals, before being substituted at half-time.

"Pricey made a couple of mistakes and his confidence was at rock-bottom at half-time,'' said Proctor. "He's a big, strong lad and I'm sure he will learn from that and start pushing on again.''

Relegated from the Premiership in May, Leeds contained just three players with top flight experience - captain Lucas Radebe, former Newcastle winger Steve Guppy and trialist Chris Bart-Williams.

After a ten-minute delay to kick-off due to crowd congestion, the game was just three minutes old when Grant found the net with his first touch for the club.

With space down the left, Ian Clark crossed for the unmarked striker, who placed his header past Aussie trialist keeper Adam Federeci.

However, Quakers' lead was short-lived when youngster Andrew Keogh pounced on a Michael Price error to level for the visitors.

Price' attempted clearance was blocked by Keogh, and after retrieving the ball on the by-line, the teenager poked an effort under the embarrassed Quakers stopper.

Price was picking the ball out of the net again two minutes later, but there was little he could do this time as Polish trialist Thomaz Rzasa drove high into the top corner to make it 2-1

Jamie McMaster added a third for the visitors in the 33rd minute, when Price was at fault again, misjudging the forward's looping header, which dropped into the net.

Hodgson took the decision to withdraw Price at the interval, introducing Sam Russell.

In the 63rd minute, Quakers almost fell further behind when substitute Simon Johnson fired into the side-netting after a rare error by Craig Liddle.

But the normally dependable defender more than made amends moments later when he pulled a goal back, planting his header past Federeci from Neil Maddison's cross.

Johnson should have made it four late on when he struck the upright after rounding Joey Hutchinson, before McMaster added his second goal of the evening in injury time.

Quakers complete their preparations for the new season when they play Peterborough United on Saturday at the New Stadium.

A select XI side will take on Billingham Synthonia at Central Avenue tomorrow night (7.30pm).

DARLINGTON: Price (Russell 45min), Kendrick, Liddle, Fleming (Hutchinson 56min), Hughes (Hansen 60min), Clark (Heseltine 80min), Close (Maddison 56min), Thomas (Ndrayi), Convery (Keltie 56min), Wilford (Ferrero 56min), Grant (Russell 56min) Subs (not used): Scartascini, Coghlan, Mason

LEEDS UNITED: Federeci, McStay, Rzasa, Leister (Winter 36min), Radebe (Woods 76min), Carlisle, Edwards, Bart-Williams, Keogh (Johnson 60min), McMaster, Guppy Subs (not used): Traori, Wilberforce, Gourville