MATTY APPLEBY believes Darlington's strikers must take responsibility for the recent slump, which has all but ended any hopes of securing a play-off place.

Appleby feels Quakers would have earned at least a point at Barnet on Saturday, but for some poor finishing.

Darlington have now failed to score in the four defeats they have suffered in their last five games.

At Barnet, Jemal Johnson, Akpo Sodje and Taiwo Atieno were all guilty of bad misses and Appleby admitted: "I think poor finishing cost us at least a point down there."

Johnson, Sodje and Atieno were all denied in quick succession by Barnet keeper Ross Flitney after former Quakers striker Tresor Kandol had given his new club an 80th-minute lead.

"You expect the strikers to put the ball away in those situations," said Appleby.

"The keeper might have made a couple of good saves but we really should have had the ball in the back of the net.

"We had chances all the way through the game, good deliveries into the box, but there was no-one there to stick the ball into the back of the net.

"It doesn't help that the manager has had to chop and change, but strikers are there to score goals."

However, Appleby has refuted any suggestion that constant changes in formations during games has a negative impact on the team.

At Barnet, manager David Hodgson changed the shape of his line-up on three occasions.

Appleby said: "We work on various formations in training and we find it quite easy to adapt.

"We started with a 4-4-2 at Barnet and when we switched to three at the back I thought it worked well. We had plenty of width and that let us get some good deliveries in. All we missed was that telling touch at Barnet, which we need to find soon."

* Manchester City have agreed to let goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel stay at Bury for a further month.

The young Dane, son of legendary Manchester United keeper Peter, has played seven games for the Coca-Cola League Two outfit following a highly successful loan spell with Darlington.

Read more about the Quakers here.