Darlington manager Gary Bennett looked back at another display of poor finishing at Boothferry Park and said: "If we could finish, we'd be in the top three."

It was the same old story from Quakers, as they slipped to their third successive defeat, and their fourth in the last five games to put them into 15th place.

They have collected just one point since they beat Torquay at Feethams three weeks ago, and the chances of a promotion challenge will vanish unless they can solve their goalscoring problem.

After a promising start to the season, gloom is setting in among some supporters, who have seen their side dominate possession in games and play good football for no reward. They are forecasting a finish in the bottom half of the table.

The encouraging part about recent performances is that Quakers are creating plenty of chances, but inside the opposition penalty area they look as if they've got the football equivalent of the golfing yips.

And when you don't score, you put pressure on your defence. By the time Hull opened the scoring, Quakers had wasted three good chances, and you could sense that the old familiar story was brewing.

Just like recent games against Brighton, Cardiff and Scunthorpe, Quakers had most of the second half possession, but couldn't take their chances.

Just to roll back the memories of those Darlington fans who went around the Conference, Quakers were hit by a breakaway goal which was typical Brian Little from a decade ago.

How the present team could do with somebody like David Cork or John Borthwick, who were part of the backbone of Little's two title wins at Feethams and could score goals from anywhere around and inside the box.

In other words, Darlington need a regular match-winner. At the moment, there is plenty of effort and good football, but no finisher.

"If we could take our chances, we'd be in the top three," said Bennett.

"It isn't a case of being over-run or battered by opposing teams. It's a simple matter of not finishing our chances, and that's the be-all and end-all of everything.

"It's a matter of the players making the right decision when they're in the box, and at the moment, they're not being ruthless enough.

"If you don't have that streak, then you end up in mid-table. Our decision-making was wrong when we had the ball in the box.

"One or two balls into our box weren't as good as I expected, and if we delivered the ball as well as I know we can, then we would have created more chances.

"Goals change games. The longer this spell goes on, the players think 'shall I, or shan't I' in the box and they get more and more iffy.

"We created chance after chance, and missed them. It gets very frustrating when we keep saying that.

"We had chances, one of which hit the outside of the post, and Hull hit one sweet, and it ends up in the back of our net.

"On our first half performance, we could have gone in level, or even in front. It was the same again in the second half, but then we conceded a second goal which started from a bad corner."

There was one attacking plus point. New signing Kevin Kyle used his height to create three first half opportunities and only had one clear chance himself.

But he looked as if he will be a useful acquisition, and showed signs that maybe he can solve the scoring problem while he stays on loan at Feethams.

"We have an option there with Kevin's height. We must make sure we have the right combination for him," said Bennett.

Quakers started the game with Kyle up front with Lee Nogan, and dropped Glenn Naylor back into the left side of midfield at the expense of Richard Hodgson.

Kyle linked up well with both Nogan and Naylor early on, and he created a chance for Naylor after ten minutes, but former Quaker triallist Paul Musselwhite denied him with a save at the foot of his post.

Hull hit back with Jamaican international Theodore Whitmore seeing a shot deflected past the post, then Clint Marcelle broke clear, but dragged his effort wide.

Quakers then got on top, and looked good for the opening goal.

Thomas Butler, who again had an outstanding game in midfield, was unlucky when his right-foot effort from the edge of the box flew just past the post, then Kyle's downward header dropped nicely for Naylor six yards out, but he was denied by a clearance from Mark Edwards on the line.

It was a blow to Quakers when Hull took the lead after 35 minutes, David Brown rolling the ball into the path of Gary Brabin, who beat Andy Collett all ends up with a screamer from 20 yards - the ninth successive away game in which Quakers have conceded the opening goal.

It was the same again in the second half, with the Hull crowd becoming more and more edgy as Quakers moved the ball about.

Butler worked his way into the box, but Musselwhite saved, then a clever header from Nogan set up Naylor, who skied the ball over from 15 yards.

Naylor held his head in frustration after 66 minutes when Nogan picked him perfectly with a left-wing cross, but Naylor headed against the outside of the post when he should have done better.

Hull were rocking as Darlington pressed forward with Naylor pushed up front as a third striker, but they caught Quakers on the break after 76 minutes.

A right-wing corner from Hodgson was cleared by Whitmore, who beat Gray to the loose ball midway inside his own half, then he played a pair of one-twos with Marcelle to take him into the box, where he beat Collett from ten yards.