David Hodgson remained uncharacteristically pragmatic in his assessment of Mansfield Town's controversial opener on Saturday - despite it appearing to be scored from an offside position.

After a team-mate had blasted across goal Simon Brown stabbed home from inside the six-yard box, but the striker's goal was allowed to stand, prompting furious protests.

The Darlington manager is ordinarily the first to react angrily when a dubious decision has goes against his side, but on Saturday he refrained from any referee-baiting, instead almost sympathising with the match officials.

"We thought it was blatantly offside but you have just got to accept it" he shrugged.

"If there is one thing that I have learned it is there is no point in giving yourself a heart attack arguing over the decision.

"Once the goal has been given the referee and linesman are not going to change their mind.

"I just looked at the linesman and thought, how can he be running the line when he must be five years older than me? That is not a criticism of him but they have a hard job to do which I think would be easier if they were a bit younger and fitter.

"Officials must have the ability to be up and down all afternoon and make decisions.

"It is very difficult for linesmen but it would be a lot easier if some of them were five or six years younger.

"But the bottom line is, it was some stupid football from us which resulted in them scoring the goal."

For the most part Darlington were disappointing and Hodgson admitted: "It was not a good performance and we were fortunate to get something. It is a point gained and not two dropped because we just did not start.

"If you take a point away from home and all three from your home games then you are moving in the right direction.

"We were 2-1 down and we needed to salvage something out of the game and I would rather we try and get a point by being positive than sitting on the situation and hoping we would score.

"So we went for 3-4-3. It was a gamble because Mansfield could have scored again but it turned out it was us who got the goal."

l Jason St Juste, who left Darlington in the summer, has signed a short-term contract with Southampton.

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