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.

After a poor display on Saturday, and with David Duke still awaiting his full debut, changes are likely 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 have to be so defensive he can do a 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 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."

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."

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

l 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.

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 before Grimsby levelled on 57 minutes.

Darlington had a chance to regain the lead when Anthony Peacock was hacked down in the box.

Guylain 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.

l Neill Collins' swift development continues tonight when he turns out for his country.

The central defender, on loan at Hartlepool from Sunderland, has been named in Rainer Bonhof's squad for Scotland's under-21 friendly in Austria.

Collins, signed from Dumbarton a year ago, made an impressive debut for Pool in the weekend win at Doncaster, just 24 hours after moving down the A19 on a half-season loan from Wearside.

He said: "There's nothing better than the feeling of playing and winning games on a Saturday and that's why I've come to Hartlepool to play first-team football.

"I want to show everyone I can play football at this level because it will be good for my career.''