DARLINGTON manager Josh Gowling admits that tomorrow's game against King’s Lynn at Blackwell Meadows is a “six-pointer.”

Quakers go into the game bottom of the table without a home league win so far this season, and they’re up against the Linnets who are third bottom, a point better off.

Both clubs have recently changed their manager, with Gowling taking charge of his fourth game while Linnets boss Adam Lakeland takes control of his second match after moving to Norfolk from Curzon Ashton.

“I don’t think we could have had a tougher start since I came in,” said Gowling. “We had a six-pointer against Gloucester in our first game, then a local derby in an FA Cup tie, a  game against the top-of-the-table side, and now another six pointer.

“We’ve done a lot of work this week, we’ve been rebuilding mentally from the defeat at Tamworth. It was a tough loss, but we’ve got to start turning the tank around now. Things haven’t been going as well as we would have liked, but we’ll get there. We’re upbeat, and we’re starting to turn things round in one direction.

“We’ve had frank conversations with each other. The big thing is that when things aren't going well, our default is to look after ourselves and go in for self-preservation, but in a team sport that’s not fantastic.

“We’ve been looking at ways to be together more and galvanise as a group to push through these times. There’s always going to be adversity, so as a group we need to push forward.”

Quakers have only won twice at home in the league since January, and Gowling pointed out: “There’s not been that much success from last season to now.

“Winning is a habit, and we’ve got to get that habit, so it’s about turning some of the bad habits around, especially on the training pitch, into good habits and then picking up wins.”

After the 4-0 defeat at Tamworth last week, they’ve also got the worst defensive record in the league, with 24 goals conceded in 11 league games. King’s Lynn are second worst with three fewer.

“Some of the goals we conceded last week were not great," added Gowling. "But they’re not just defenders, they’re team goals. As a collective we’ve got to be better, and if they’re low in confidence in that area of the pitch, then the rest of the team need to pick one another up and work hard.

“We’ve done a lot of work on crosses and set-plays, because they’ve been our Achilles heel. We’ve got some good players who want to do better.

“I’ve been here before with my last club, but we turned it around and started climbing the table. There’s no reason why this squad can’t do the same.

“I get the panic, the concerns and the unrest off the back of last season coming into this season with the results the way they are. People are hurting.

“From my point of view, I want to come in and see some smiling faces, and to do that, we’ve got to start picking up points. We will work relentlessly to turn things around.”

New signing Jonny Ngunda, signed from Stratford Town, will be included in the squad, but midfielder Adriano Moke is missing because of injury.

Quakers will also be looking for their first league win over King’s Lynn, having lost to them in each of their previous three meetings.