THERE was a time when David Hodgson and Darlington were a match made in heaven.

Rookie manager met rookie club ten years ago and it was from there that Hodgson's Darlington love affair began.

As in any relationship, it was far from smooth.

And, after assisting Jim Platt with team affairs in 1995, Hodgson walked out before returning to the club to take sole charge a year later.

It was during that second spell that Hodgson earned hero status among fans, assembling an exciting young squad, before guiding Quakers to only their second Wembley appearance in 2000.

Hodgson makes little secret that he still yearns for the class of five years ago and remains hell-bent on bringing back those heady days of Gabbiadini and co.

Starved of entertainment, supporters have seldom witnessed the free-flowing football Hodgson once implemented in recent years.

Not for the want of trying, the Quakers squad is virtually unrecognisable from the one he inherited in 2003. Only six players are still on the club's books since Hodgson returned to the club for a third stint.

Yet, despite the overhaul, Hodgson's current side has so far showed little to suggest an improvement on last season's eighth-placed finish.

And, it is with that lack of progress that patience on the terraces is beginning to wear thin.

Given that they are the paying customer, fans have every justification to voice their disapproval. Few, if any, would disagree that results this season have been unacceptable.

The 13th position in League Two that Darlington occupy is not false and is the grim consequence of winning just two of their last 13 league games.

Infuriated by such lackadaisical lack of progress, there is an increasing feeling of discontent among Darlington's restless supporters.

"Hodgy, what's the score?" has become a regular terrace chant recently and on Saturday Hodgson was once again posed the question - on several occasions in fact.

His reply that the score was one-nil to Rushden only aroused the ill-felt relationship, which has developed between Hodgson and the boo-boys this season.

"Surely they most know what the score is," quipped Hodgson. "I tried to make light of it by giving a gesture back, to say it was one-nil and they gave me abuse."

Only Hodgson knows what gesture he would have preferred to aim towards a section of disgruntled fans.

But, he added: "I'm not a manager who sticks fingers up at fans, but it's discouraging when people start shouting 'What a load of blah, blah, blah'.''

Once regarded as a saviour, it's safe to say the relationship has taken a decidedly sour turn for the worse this season.

Expectancy levels have never been so high and it could be said that Hodgson has become a victim of his own success since returning to the club two years ago.

Escaping the threat of relegation - not to mention extinction - in his first season back at the club, Hodgson then steered Quakers within a hair's breadth of a play-off place in May, when consolidation would have been accepted.

The general consensus among fans last season though, was, that with the squad Hodgson had at his disposal, a top seven finish was attainable.

But, without Hodgson's powers of persuasion, the likes of Craig Hignett and Alun Armstrong wouldn't have been at the club in the first place.

Now, after promising to improve on last season's position, Hodgson faces arguably the most crucial campaign of his managerial career.

The gap between Quakers and the top seven widened to six points after Saturday's draw with struggling Rushden & Diamonds.

Despite Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu's injury time equaliser, which led Rushden boss Barry Hunter to admitting the draw felt like a defeat, the reaction of Quakers fans failed to suggest it felt anything like a home win.

Not satisfied that their side, after creating a plethora of goalscoring chances, rescued a point, some fans jeered Hodgson and his team off the field at the final whistle.

"You just can't win sometimes," said Hodgson. "I think that's the first time I've saw us equalise in injury time and still get booed off the field."

But, few among the disappointing 3,209 crowd will let a late equaliser paper over the cracks of Quakers' problems.

However, if Ndumbu-Nsungu's late spot-kick is the turning point in their season, as Hodgson hopefully speculated, then the faith once shown in the Quakers boss may restore come May.

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