A DISTINCT lack of firepower appears to be causing sleepless nights for Tommy Taylor.
Eleven goals from ten league and cup games could hardly be considered disastrous, but a proven goalscorer appears top of the Quakers' boss wishlist.
With centre-back Stuart Whitehead expected to join from Carlisle this week, Taylor has sounded out a second division striker to help ease the burden on Barry Conlon and Ian Clark.
The addition of Graham Fenton to the starting XI on Saturday proved a welcome boost to the manager especially as the Geordie marked his debut with a goal, but a failure to convert their chances in the end cost Quakers two points.
The name being bandied around Feethams is a certain Luke Beckett who managed to bag a brace for Stockport County on Saturday.
The manager says negotiations are at a delicate stage and perhaps, not surprisingly, he won't reveal the player's identity.
Despite the chances missed, Taylor's side deserve credit for battling back from a goal down after starting the match visibly low on confidence.
But after two back-to-back derby defeats it was three points the manager was after not one.
Taylor said: "We should have won the game.
"When it was 1-1 we were on top. We went 2-1 up we sat back and then we allowed them to play.
"We dropped back and we let them have the ball - if you let teams come on to you, they'll punish you and that's what they did.
"To be truthful we should have had the game wrapped up by the time they scored their second."
It would be a real coup for Taylor to persuade Beckett to drop a division, and Barry Conlon is one player who welcome a new face to play alongside.
Conlon's strengths as a genuine targetman and line leader appear to be lost on many fans at Feethams, with the former York frontman a constant target of the Darlington boo-boys.
In truth he missed one or two chances on Saturday - a virtual tap in just after the half hour had many fans screaming for him to be subbed - but hopefully his bundled effort in the second-half can boost the Irishman's confidence.
With loanee Fenton in the starting line-up, it was expected he would play alongside Conlon, but Taylor opted to give the Tynesider a free role playing from the left behind the front two - only changing his formation in the second half.
The new signing was immediately in the action picking up possession after three minutes 25 yards from goal and letting fly with an effort that flew well over the bar.
Quakers were finding difficulty in keeping possession and seemed susceptible to the counter-attack.
On 22 minutes however the home side were denied an opener by a super double save from goalkeeper Neil Moss. A free-kick on the right of the box was swung in by Ashley Nicholls and met by the head of Conlon but his effort was pushed away by Moss.
Matthew Clarke was first to the rebound but Moss was there again to deny the central defender.
Three minutes later and Bournemouth were ahead after Darlington failed twice to clear their lines.
The second time they allowed Shaun Maher to pull the ball back into the six-yard box for Derek Holmes to put the Cherries one up.
Three minutes later and Quakers should have been level. Good work by Nicholls and Ian Clark gave Conlon a one-on-one at the far post but his shot was straight at Moss.
With the crowd still berating Conlon for the miss, Darlington equalised. Again some good football by the Quakers on the left gave Ryan Valentine the chance to play the ball in for Fenton.
Moss was again on hand to deny the debutant's first effort but he could do nothing with the follow-up.
The goal gave the Quakers an injection of self-belief that appeared sadly lacking for the first half-hour.
They created half a dozen chances to score a second with Clark, Ford, and Conlon all guilty of poor finishing.
But Bournemouth were still threatening on the break and Andy Collett had to be at his best on 66 minutes when Browning was put clear in the box, but the Quakers keeper was out quickly to deny him.
Quakers' second still appeared inevitable and it duly arrived with 17 minutes left.
A good move on the left saw Clark cross for substitute Glenn Naylor - on for Fenton - to guide the ball into the path of Ford who slid the ball into the six yard box for Conlon to bundle home.
Cue the goal, cue Darlington to sit ten yards further back and allow Bournemouth to come at them.
The Cherries' equaliser appeared as inevitable as Darlington's second.
A long ball from the left on 83 minutes appeared innocuous but it slid off the head of David McGurk for Alan Connell to fire Bournemouth level.
Result: Darlington 2 Bournemouth 2.
Read more about the Quakers here.
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