IF first impressions really do count then Bert Bossu has gone about making his completely the wrong the way.

Being culpable for at least one goal on your debut is not the best way to introduce yourself to a new club, especially when the game in question was a derby.

Having already made it clear that if he is not to be No l at Darlington then he wants away, it became vital - if only for his chances of earning a move - that the French keeper raised his game at the weekend.

And for the most part he did so, doing all that was asked of him in the first half, safely collecting balls and his distribution could not be criticised either.

However, in the second half, despite making one impressive save, he conceded four goals. While only the extremely critical would fault for him for any of Chester's first three, he hardly made a case for his own defence by failing to deal with a single corner or cross after the break.

His real downfall though came in the final minute when a rush of blood to the head saw Bossu at fault for the crucial fourth Chester goal which the keeper later admitted he could have dealt with better.

With Chester having clawed it back to 4-3 after an 89th minute goal, they raced forward but Bossu met them halfway by needlessly coming to the edge of his area. Gregg Blundell rounded Bossu and it led to an unlikely equaliser.

It was embarrassing for them all, but a shame for Bossu because he had gone some way to at least partly restoring his reputation.

Afterwards the hapless Bossu was stunned and visibly shaken. He speaks perfect English but could not put into words what had happened.

At the final whistle he couldn't even bring himself to face the travelling fans, instead marching straight from his goalmouth to the dressing rooms.

Considering the week he has just suffered perhaps it is understandable.

Bearing in mind his shaky display at Hartlepool last week, which followed a forgettable loan game for Accrington Stanley, it is fair to say Bossu is not enjoying his football at the moment and his confidence must be shot to pieces.

Before Sam Russell's injury, Bossu played on loan at Accrington but made a hash of a long-range shot which ended up in the net and he admitted: "I am having a tough time, it is tough coming to a new club and a new part of the country.

"To concede two goals late on, I am gutted. It has never happened to me before.

"I had a hard game in midweek and tried to do my best on Saturday, as always. Maybe with the last goal I should have stayed on my line and not rushed out but that was the decision I made.

"Everyone is trying to impress the manager but conceding four goals is not the best thing that could happen."

And neither was, by his own admission, his performance at Pool.

That his debut last Tuesday was a derby meant the importance of the occasion rose and therefore the scrutiny which fell on Bossu intensified.

Some reckoned he should have reacted sooner to the bouncing ball which ultimately led do to Jon Daly opening the scoring, while the Calais-born shot-stopper was directly involved in Pool's second, blasting the ball off a team-mate's back straight into Michael Proctor's path for a simple goal.

He said: "I was in France after playing for Accrington and didn't know until the last minute that I was needed to play which made it really hard.

"I had to rush back on the Monday evening, stay in a hotel on Monday night and then travel up on the day of the game. It did not help but that it is not an excuse, I don't think I had a good game."

And then came Chester which presented a shot at redemption.

It must be said other keepers, Russell included, may have at least attempted to collect one of Chester's 14 corners but Bossu refrained from doing so and that hardly inspires confidence.

But nine of his team-mates were also in the Darlington penalty area for those 14 corners and maybe they could have dealt with the danger more effectively.

Hodgson has attempted to deflect blame from Bossu on to Carlos Logan by effectively blaming him for the fourth Chester goal, saying he should not have given possession away so cheaply.

Bossu, however, regardless of anything else he has done over his last three games, has conceded ten goals in a week.

No matter who's to blame, that kind of statistic does not look good.

The last time Darlington gave a league debut to a goalkeeper at the then Deva Stadium, Quakers also conceded four goals and the No 1 in question that day in 1995 was John Burridge.

His stay was only a short-term measure and if the goals continue to fly past Bossu, he too can expect his time with Quakers to be brief.

Read more about the Quakers here.