IT has been seven days since one of the lowest points Darlington have endured since 2012, a 3-0 hammering at the hands of South Shields provoking an angry reaction from manager Martin Gray.

Fans were fuming too, some booing at full-time, and midfielder Phil Turnbull later acknowledged that the visitors to Blackwell Meadows for the FA Cup tie showed more determination than a lacklustre Quakers.

Gray said in the aftermath that players would leave and new signings would join, but the only activity so far has been the arrival on loan of winger Adam Dawson from Tranmere Rovers.

He has joined for a month, having trained with the team on Thursday evening, and will start today, James Caton most likely to make way at Boston United, where Gray wants to see a reaction as strong as his own after last week’s humbling.

He called it the worst performance in his time as manager, and it means Darlington have now won once in nine games, so he was pleased to report that his players showed a greater appetite in training this week.

“The reaction has been fantastic, the players have been fantastic,” said the manager, who can call on Nathan Cartman today after he was cup-tied last weekend.

“We had a conversation with certain individuals on Tuesday night at training, a few home truths were told.

“And the reaction was exactly as I’d expect and that’s got to continue. It’s alright doing it in training.

“We’ve drawn a line under things, now we’ve got to produce some winning performances.

“I’ve watched the game back, but your eyes don’t tell lies, I already knew what was right and wrong.

“There’s always a positive if you look hard enough, and that’s what we want from now on – a positive reaction. That’s got to come on Saturday, because that’s when we’ll be judged.

“One thing I will say for the players is, I know them so well, their pride has been hurt. They’ve been questioned for the first time.

“I know their reaction will be positive, that’s just the way they are. I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s game.”

Gray says he has other potential signings in the pipeline that could follow Dawson.

This is the seventh time Dawson has been sent out on loan during a chequered career for a player who turns 25 next month.

He has turned out for FC United, Nuneaton, Kidderminster and Barrow, among others, and aged just 14 Liverpool paid Bury a reported £100,000 for him.

“He’s a right-winger, can play on the left too,” said Gray. “He did ever so well at Eastleigh a couple of years back and there have been a couple of clubs chasing him for the last few months.

“So I’m pleased to get him, and we’re trying to sign one or two more before the weekend, so I’m working hard on the phone. I’ve spent a lot of time on the phone this week and I’ve got one or two potential deals lined up.”

Kevin Burgess was made available for transfer this week, the captain’s days with Darlington coming to an end after 77 games for the club after signing in 2015 from Whitby Town.

Gray said: “One or two clubs have put an offer in, so we’re just waiting to see where he wants to go.”

For many of his appearances Burgess was partnered in the centre of defence by Gary Brown, who has this week undergone examinations in London to determine when he can return to action following a concussion issue.

He has been out for a month, and Gray added: “The feedback has been very good, we’re just waiting on some reports.

“He’s very much on the way to recovery and he’s going to do some light training, which is something he couldn’t do previously.

“We’ll step him up, hopefully there’s no reaction and in the near future we’ll get him back on the pitch.”

The timing of Brown’s absence has been unfortunate given that fellow defender Chris Hunter has been injured and Burgess not fully fit, problems exacerbated when Dom Collins suffered a recurrence of a groin strain in the warm-up.

It necessitated Burgess being given a last-minute reprieve, and while Gray has preferred not to use the fitness issues as a factor in the poor form there is no doubting it has weakened his options.

“I don’t think people appreciate how difficult it has been, and I don’t want to use it as an excuse, but it’s been bloody difficult,” he said.

“We haven’t been able to pick our final team until quarter to two on some Saturdays because of fitness tests, and after that we’ve had players breaking down in the warm-up because they think they’re fit but then they’re not. We’ve had that happen twice to us this season.

“So that then means the player that has been left out has to come into the team, his mind’s not right because he’s not been selected in the first place, so it’s very difficult.

“But we’ve got great staff, we’ve got a positive mindset and I’m sure the fans understand all the hard work we’re trying to do. We need the fans to believe in what we’re about.”