Darlington Director of Football Luke Raine last night insisted that Gary Bennett will remain as manager of the club.

Bennett came under fire from the fans as Quakers slipped to their sixth successive defeat - their worst sequence this season - and during the match several fans were calling for the Quakers boss to resign.

Bennett's deal as manager ends soon, along with assistant Mick Tait's, but Raine said: "Nothing has changed regarding Gary and Mick as far as the club is concerned.

"They will be sitting down with the chairman, and discussing new contracts in the near future. We are still confident that they'll do a good job for the club, despite the defeats at the end of the season."

Chairman George Reynolds revealed a month ago that the pair will be offered two-year deals, with a one-year option.

Bennett admits that he has a had a tough baptism in his first season in charge. "It has been very hard," he said.

"A lot of things have had to be adjusted, and it's taken a long time to get to know the players. I knew it was going to be hard, but not as hard as I've discovered.

"It's been an experience, and hopefully that's made me a stronger person, and I can build on that."