DAVID Hodgson has slammed suggestions he should leave Darlington and made it clear he is not about to walk out, despite being under pressure during an indifferent campaign.

Saturday's draw at home to struggling Rushden and Diamonds means Quakers have not won any of their last five games, winning only three of the last 15, and some supporters are tired of the current bad form.

The manager has twice previously left the club and, now in his third spell at the helm, a good season was expected after missing out on last season's play-offs on goal difference.

But, with almost half the season gone, Darlington are languishing in midtable.

They are even struggling to score goals - excluding an own goal, Darlington have scored just three from open play in their last ten matches and they were all in one game, the 3-1 win over Cheltenham over a month ago.

In an impassioned defence, Hodgson blasted: "Why should I go? You tell me why.

"There's not a reason in the world why I should leave this club. The person who saved this club from relegation three times is me.

"The person who took them virtually to promotion three times is me and the guy sitting in mid-table now, not up nor down, is me.

"If you think I'm going to get up and leave after giving two years of giving my life to this club to get them where they are you've got another thing coming."

Since first joining the club alongside Jim Platt in 1995 Hodgson has taken charge of over 300 games.

His third spell began just over two years ago in 2003/04, a season in which he is widely regarded to have saved the club from relegation.

Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu's injury time penalty saved Darlington on Saturday and Hodgson likened it to David McGurk's late leveller at Kidderminster two season ago.

That result instigated a decent run of form and Hodgson said: "I am hoping it is going to kick start us like TY did at Kidderminster with a header in the last minute.

"That was a turning point that got us off and running.

"When you are stuck in a rut you need a turning point, something to get you going again. It was very harsh on Rushden to concede a penalty in the 90th minute but we deserved something out of the game."

Read more about the Quakers here.