After throwing away the chance of taking all three points from Friday night's encounter at Luton Town, Darlington manager Gary Bennett has lamented his side's inability to kill off the opposition.

With some tough fixtures awaiting, including Saturday's game at home to fourth-placed Mansfield, Bennett knows Quakers can't afford a repeat of Friday's failings.

The 5-2 defeat was the third time this season Darlington have scored the first goal, only to concede goals having not taken their own chances.

"We've got to learn how to shut up shop, but the killer was the third goal. It was a sloppy goal, we just switched off and that's a disappointing thing," said Bennett.

"And then we're back, chasing the game, having done well to get back in it, and look like we're going to go on and do something.

"If you weren't at the game and you look at the scoreline you'd think we'd been battered but that wasn't the case. We didn't deserve that result."

Until Friday, Quakers' defending had been steady. But failing to convert chances has cost them and Friday was a case in point.

"Danny Mellanby had two chances and put one straight in the keeper's arms," said Bennett. "But it's not Danny's fault because he scored a goal. I just thought we could've got at them a little bit more than we did.

"The pleasing thing is we had chances, but we just picked the wrong spot."

Paul Heckingbottom, who is now back to full fitness after being dogged by injury for 18 months, was disappointed his side failed to take the initiative after Neil Wainwright had equalised.

He said: "As a team we didn't defend well. When we were chasing the game we lost a lot of shape understandably because we needed to push and they took full advantage of that.

"At 2-2 it was anyone's game. We had a couple of chances at that point but we didn't get shots in when we could have.

"And that's the difference. They scored two world-class goals - you can't do anything about that - and they seemed to take every other chance they had."

The supporters' club hold a meeting tonight at Feethams' Strikers Bar (7.30) with PR Director Luke Raine and some of the players in attendance. It is hoped either Bennett or assistant manager Mick Tait will also be there.

It is intended there will be a regular meeting to be held on the second Tuesday of each month, while meetings of the Newton Aycliffe branch continue to take place at 7.30 in the British Legion Club on the first Tuesday of each month.

It is also planned to restart monthly meetings on Teesside.

If anyone would like meetings in their area, contact the supporters' club chairman Peter Thornes (01325) 234911 or Raine (01325) 240240. Meetings are open to all supporters.

l FIFA have insisted it is too early to say whether the French Football Federation will be sanctioned after crowd trouble during France's friendly tie with Algeria at the Stade de France on Saturday.

As Les Bleus were leading 4-1, dozens of Algerian fans invaded the pitch in the 74th minute, forcing the organisers the FFF to abandon the match.

''It is far too early to speak about sanctions against the FFF,'' A FIFA spokesman told PA International.

''FIFA are awaiting for the referee's report.