This wasn't in the script. Or was it?

Scored one, conceded six. Darlington's League record after just two games already makes painful reading with the club firmly rooted to the bottom of the Football League after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Kidderminster Harriers.

A result and occasion which, sadly, Quakers fans will look back on in years to come with disappointment.

But perhaps chairman George Reynolds' pre-match speech can offer Quakers fans some comfort for the future?

"Let's get the right team and get it right on the pitch," vowed Reynolds, who offered the same opinions in Saturday's The Northern Echo.

"We didn't build this stadium for the Third, Second or First Division, we built it for the Premiership."

No one would argue the Reynolds Arena is certainly fit for the Premiership.

Sadly the team which resides there was barely good enough for the UniBond Premier League on Saturday.

However, Reynolds has already proved that he is a man who sticks to his word and if his latest promise is to be delivered then Quakers fans can sleep easy tonight and not worry about already being rooted to 24th place.

Saturday's abject display was clear proof that the club must lift its stringent policy on wages and dig deep if they are to bring success to the Reynolds Arena.

Manager Mick Tait would quietly admit that he has witnessed too many potential signings slip through the net during the summer.

And while the Quakers boss struggled to take any positives from Saturday's game, perhaps the player who turned a contest which was going nowhere until his half-time introduction, can give him some food for thought

Andy Bishop, a loan signing from Walsall, proved that temporary signings are just as effective as he created one and scored the other for the visitors.

And with big-spending Northampton next up for Quakers on Friday night, Tait will be hoping his side can produce the same kind of response which saw them knock First Division Bradford City out of the Carling Cup last week after their opening day drubbing at Hull.

"It was a terrible performance," fumed Tait.

"It's hard to explain the difference between Saturday and Tuesday night.

"We went out with the same shape, tried to do the same things but we were slow and the passing was awful right from the kick-off.

"If you start like that it's very hard to get back into the game.

"We were all over the place when we gave away two awful goals.

"If we'd have been a bit more disciplined and passed the ball around better I don't think we'd have lost the game, but we didn't play well enough to win.

"We play our best football when we play at a tempo and we just didn't do that."

Tait's cause wasn't helped even before a ball had been kicked with defenders Joey Hutchinson (hamstring), Matt Clarke (ankle) and Gary Pearson (back) all ruled out through injury.

Striker Danny Mellanby was also left out with a rib injury with Carling Cup hero Glen Robson keeping his place in attack alongside Barry Conlon.

With crowd congestion delaying kick-off, the game eventually got underway at 3.15pm.

And with some of the 11,600 crowd - Quakers' largest attendance since 1982 when 12,557 packed into Feethams for an old Fourth Division clash with Sheffield United, which ironically was settled by the same scoreline - still queuing outside, it was the visitors who looked the liveliest in the opening exchanges.

With only five minutes on the clock Bo Henriksen was allowed all the time in the world only to fire into the side netting.

At the other end defender Ryan Valentine whipped in a teasing cross which eventually found Conlon at the back post but his effort was deflected wide.

And from the resulting corner Neil Maddison volleyed over from the edge of the box.

But it was the visitors who continued to look the more dangerous with Quakers keeper Andy Collett tipping away brilliantly to deny Henriksen.

In the 33rd minute there were appeals for a penalty when Conlon went down under the challenge of Harriers keeper Stuart Brock.

But referee Martin Atkinson's judgement was spot on as he waved play on.

Former Quakers striker John Williams, kept under close guard for most of the first half by old teammate Craig Liddle, was substituted at half-time with Bishop coming on for the visitors.

And it was Bishop's introduction which soon livened up proceedings.

That wasn't before Collett pulled off another great stop to deny former Hartlepool winger Sam Shilton, who then came to his side's rescue at the other end when he cleared Conlon's goalbound effort off the line.

But it was the tricky Bishop who effectively created the first ever goal at the Reynolds Arena when we went down under a clumsy challenge from skipper Liddle on the edge of the box.

Midfielder Danny Williams' ten-yard run up suggested only one thing as he crashed a thunderous drive beyond Collett five minutes into the second half.

And seven minutes later Bishop made it two when he found himself in acres of space on the edge of the box before beating Collett with a delightful chip.

In a last-gasp bid to claw their way back into the game Tait introduced young duo Chris Hughes and Mark Sheeran.

And it was the latter who was guilty of squandering a late consolation for Quakers when, with the goal at his mercy, he fired tamely at Brock after unselfish play from Hughes.

Nice stadium, shame about the performance.

Result: Darlington 1 Kidderminster Harriers 2.

Read more about the Quakers here.