By Andy Brown

AN AIR of crisis settled over Feethams this week. Darlington's inept display in Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by league leaders Chesterfield proved the final straw for many fans.

Demonstrations against Quakers' manager Gary Bennett and multi-millionaire chairman George Reynolds produced the astonishing response of club PR man Luke Raine being appointed "director of football" - despite him having no background in the game.

Reynolds left his seat after an hour of Saturday's defeat - to chants of "part-time supporter". His wage-slashing agenda this term has left the inexperienced Bennett with a team which has now slumped to 19th place in the Nationwide Third Division.

And let no-one believe this side is too good to go down. With the shock and unexplained departure of defender Neil Aspin last week, the squad contains only four quality players - and two of them are goalkeepers: Frank van der Geest, Andy Collett, Paul Heckingbottom (when fit) and Craig Liddle (head and shoulders above the rest).

Add a couple of promising but raw youngsters, Kilty and Hodgson, and the rest of the squad is, it seems, not even up to Third Division standards.

While Reynolds concentrates his energies on a new stadium which few of Quakers' dwindling band of fans want, he has overseen the signing of a fourth-rate set of players. Make no mistake, Quakers are bad enough to slide out of the Football League.

On Saturday, Quakers scrapped aimlessly for 33 minutes until David Reeves -who proved far too wily for young Mark Kilty all afternoon - headed the visitors ahead.

Just before the interval, Kilty gave away a penalty which Collett saved, but seconds later the ball was crossed again and Sean Parrish shot home.

The second half was a stroll for the Spireites, and they made it three with five minutes left when substitute Lawrie Dudfield scored with his first touch.

Tomorrow, Quakers travel to play Lincoln City.