DARLINGTON manager Alun Armstrong admitted that his players are feeling the pressure after they lost their play-off zone clash with Chester on Saturday.
Quakers have stumbled in recent weeks, and Saturday’s defeat means they have picked up just two points out of the last available 12.
Fortunately for them, Chorley and Scarborough have been unable to take advantage because they’ve wobbled just as much in recent games, but there is now just a two-point breathing space over the eighth-placed club.
“That performance wasn’t anywhere near what we’re capable of,” said Armstrong. “We looked like a team that’s a little bit disjointed and a bit disheartened at the moment. We’re lacking in confidence.
“We matched Chester up at the start of the game and I didn’t think there was much in the game at all. They didn’t create much and neither did we, but you could see that they had more of a spring in their step.
“They weren’t causing problems, but then we had to change the team when Kallum Griffiths went off. We brought Niall (Brookwell) on, and he was done like a kipper for their first goal.
“After that, we never looked as if we were going to get back into the game. We didn’t look bright enough, we were pretty rigid and the creativity was non-existent.
“It could well be that the players are feeling the pressure to try and get into the play offs. Confidence is a big thing. We had a fantastic first half of the season, but we’ve lost some massive players, such as Joe Leesley, Danny Dodds and Mark Beck and that has killed us – and now we’ve got Jack Lambert and Jarrett Rivers missing.
“We need to pick ourselves up and get out of this. We need everyone to step up.”
There were few chances of real note in a low key first half.
Quakers had the first, when a free kick came out for Andrew Nelson to set up Jacob Hazel, whose curling left-foot shot was held by Chester keeper Harry Tyrer at the second attempt.
The teams weighed each other up after that and snuffed each other out, although Chester had a couple of half chances.
Busy midfielder Declan Weeks fired a 25 yarder straight at Tommy Taylor, then Iwan Murray put a right foot shot well over the bar.
But Chester took the lead five minutes before half time. Charlie Caton got away down the left from Brookwell, who had replaced the injured Griffiths, and he fired the ball across the six-yard box for Weeks to come in and force the ball home.
Quakers needed something to lift them, and they almost got it on 57 minutes when Blyth sent Jacob Hazel clear, but his effort was saved by Chester keeper Harry Tyrer.
Chester though went 2-0 up on 64 minutes when Elliott Whitehouse picked the ball up on the left, sidestepped a couple of challenges, and then beat Taylor with a low right foot shot into the bottom left hand corner.
Quakers kept going and nearly pulled one back when Kaine Felix sent Hazel away again into the area, but the Chester defence quickly covered and blocked his shot.
Nelson had a right foot shot blocked and that seemed to be game over for Quakers until the second minute of stoppage time when keeper Tommy Taylor hoisted a free kick into the Chester area, and after Tyrer fisted the ball away, it dropped for Felix to have a shot blocked on the line, and Jake Lawlor forced the ball home.
Quakers now have a big Easter weekend coming up against Blyth on Good Friday and Bradford PA on Easter Monday.
Darlington: Taylor, Griffiths (Brookwell 26), Lawlor, Wheatley, Sukar, Purver, (Howe 72) Rose, Moke, Hazel, Blyth (Felix 59), Nelson. Subs not used: Newall, Wheater.
Chester: Tyrer, Coates, Williams, Kenyon, Heywood, Earl, Weeks, Whitehouse, Murray (Roberts 81), Caton (Hall 72), Willoughby (Thomas 89). Subs not used: Dudley, Thomas, Edwards
Attendance: 1,912
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