HE might be up and running as Darlington boss - but Josh Gowling was not satisfied with his side's point from Saturday's game with Gloucester.

Quakers remain bottom of the National League North table after Gowling's first game in charge, but there is plenty of optimism going forward based on their second-half display, which featured Will Hatfield’s penalty and a near miss right at the end.

Gowling is changing the style of play to make his team harder to score against, but there was another goal conceded via a ball up the middle, which wasn’t the first time that’s happened this season.

“I’m not happy with a point,” said Gowling. “It was a tough start in the first 30 minutes, because we were getting used to the way I want to play, but after that I thought we were on top for the last ten minutes of the first half. In the second half, I thought our tempo raised substantially on the ball.

“We had some really good opportunities to score, the ball flashed across the six-yard box and we had a couple of chances. I’m disappointed with the result, but I’m proud of the lads. I’ve only had two training sessions with them, to come from behind and keep pushing on and be the stronger team is really pleasing.

“It’s fine margins. If we are to climb the table, then goals like the one we conceded have to stop. The lads have to talk and be organised.”

Gowling used three centre-halves with two wing-backs to try and reduce the number of goals against and said: “I looked at the squad and the players we’ve got, and I think the system lends itself to that. It enables us to control possession and get men forward. It’s a formation we’ll be working on as we go.

“I want us to be expansive and expressive. We had Will Hatfield and Finlay Barnes in the hole, but didn’t really give them the ball enough in the first half. In the second half, we switched play really well.”

Quakers took a while to get going in the first half, and looked cautious and nervous with an unaccustomed three at the back formation.

Tom Platt put two headers wide and Jassem Sukar had a shot blocked as Quakers looked in control thanks to plenty of possession, without really threatening.

So it was a shock when Gloucester took the lead on 33 minutes. Kornell McDonald won the ball in midfield and slipped it through for Dominic Smalley to run into the area and fire across keeper Tommy Taylor into the net.

Platt was unlucky with an effort that was deflected just over the top, and then he had a header saved by Zach Jeacock under the crossbar.

Quakers improved as the game went on. Adriano Moke found Kallum Griffiths with a great crossfield pass, and Jacob Hazel turned Griffiths’ resulting cross into Jeacock’s hands.

But Quakers nearly gifted Gloucester another goal when Moke gave the ball away, and Smalley ran through one-on-one against Taylor, but the keeper saved low down to his left.

The tempo increased after Quakers made two subs. Cameron Salkeld found Hazel in the box, and his shot was blocked by Jeacock, and when the ball ran to Salkeld, his follow-up was blocked by a defender.

Quakers’ pressure finally yielded a result when Man-of-the-Match Hatfield played a one-two with Hazel inside the box and was brought down. He converted the penalty, although Jeacock almost blocked it.

The home side created a few half-chances after that, but in the last minute of stoppage time, Hatfield’s left-foot shot from Hazel’s lay-off seemed to be going in, until Jeacock dived to his right and pushed the ball one-handed around the post.