Darlington manager Steve Staunton has received the backing of chairman Raj Singh, who has asked supporters to show patience.

Saturday’s home defeat by Torquay was Quakers’ fifth in a row and means a miraculous effort is required if relegation to the Blue Square Premier is to be avoided.

With third-bottom Cheltenham Town also losing, Darlington remain 16 points adrift of safety, though Grimsby’s win further marooned Staunton’s side at the bottom of League Two.

Singh says Staunton is making steady progress and pointed out the air of resignation that existed before Christmas.

“While we’re still not winning as many games as we’d like to be, or need to be, we’ve come a long way since the start of the season, or even pre-Christmas,” he said in Saturday’s programme.

“People were resigned to us being down then, but wanted the team to go down with a fight and to play with some pride. Well, fight and pride is exactly what we’re showing now, and I’m sure the wins and the points will follow.

“I’d ask our fans to be patient with the development of the current team and squad that Steve Staunton and Kevin Richardson are slowly putting together, and just keep believing that we are all desperately trying to make a difference for the better.

“I’m convinced and determined that we will get there eventually.”

Referring to Internet messageboards, Singh added: “There’s a lot of rubbish written on these forums, but there was a comment which did stand out to me, from someone who is clearly in tune with our thinking.

“It said ‘there’s an assumption that by changing the manager things will get better. I think Steve has shown progress, maybe not to the level that we need to stay up, and there are still areas which we need to strengthen, but he has built a core of a team which, if we can fill the weak spots with the same calibre of players he has brought in so far, then why can’t we compete next season? Changing the manager now would only rock the boat again which is absolutely the last thing this club needs.’ “I couldn’t agree more with these comments.”

Staunton this week expects to complete the signing of winger Chris Moore, a pacy right-sided player who has starred in Whitley Bay’s run to the FA Vase semi-finals.

Moore will become Staunton’s 23rd signing.