Darlington assistant manager Mark Proctor has defended the decision to field defender Shelton Martis as an unorthodox right-back, but admits the Dutchman would be better utilised in his natural position in the middle of the defence.

The 22-year-old impressed in his first trial game at the heart of defence but has played in all three matches this season at right-back and during Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient Martis appeared to be at fault on two occasions leading up the goal.

Firstly he was caught out of position which allowed Shane Tudor to latch onto a through-ball and he then felled the winger to concede a 41st minute penalty.

After a poor display on Saturday, and fellow new signing David Duke still awaiting his full debut, the pressure is on for Darlington to make changes for Saturday's trip to Grimbsy.

Proctor said: "He did well at right-back at Bradford in pre-season but he's obviously a centre-back playing right-back.

"Away from home when you do not have to be so defensive he can do nice, steady job but maybe at home, when you're looking for people to bomb on, he's maybe not the man for the job.

"He's predominately a centre-back but that is not to say we won't use him at right-back again.

"He hasn't complained, I think he's still finding his feet in a new club, new league and new country and he's just happy to be here."

Following Saturday's defeat Darlington are likely to axe at least two players from the line-up for the trip to Grimbsy.

Leyton Orient's win completed three consecutive wins for the Londoners since the beginning of the season but Darlington's downfall was their own poor performance.

Proctor admits there are likely to be alterations at Blundell Park: "After Saturday there could be a change or two, a bit of tinkering maybe for the weekend.

"I think we will reassess the team over the next couple of days because Saturday was disappointing. We thought those days were behind us but obviously not quite yet.

"There wasn't just one two players having a bad day, there five or six nowhere near the standards that they set against Stockport on Tuesday and it cost us dear."

l Slovenian right-winger Ales Mijack has joined the club on trial.

Darlington and Grimbsy met yesterday at Blundell Park for the reserves' first game of the season and Neil Maddison's side recorded a 3-2 win, despite Guylain Ndumbu Nsungu missing a penalty.

Quakers arrived late due to traffic congestion on the A1 and were caught napping when Nick Hegarty put the home side in front on 15 minutes but they were level six minutes later when Maddison curled home from 20 yards.

A minute before the break it was 2-1 to Darlington when Akpo Sodje hammered home from close range after Ndumbu Nsungu forced Lukic into a save before Grimsby levelled on 57 minutes.

Darlington had a chance to regain the lead when Anthony Peacock was hacked down in the box. Ndumbu Nsungu saw his spot-kick saved but two minutes from time the Congolese striker made amends when he latched onto a neat Gavin Parkin pass to slot home from a narrow angle.

Darlington: Bossu, Pattinson, Duke, Peacock, Dawson, Harrison, Thomas, Maddison, Sodje, Ndumbu Nsungu, Parkin. Subs: Webster, McCleod, Logan, Norton (gk).

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