IT may have been Friday the 13th yesterday, but Darlington’s out-of-form team experienced a horror show of their own earlier in the week.

Frustrated with the regularity at which his players have been conceding goals, manager Martin Gray made his team sit through a video nasty which included every goal Quakers have conceded this season.

The tally is 37. Of the top half teams only Gloucester City, who visit Blackwell Meadows today, and Tamworth have conceded more league goals.

It is a figure in steep contrast to the defensive resilience since upon which Darlington have built their success since 2012.

In both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons they let in 37 goals, and last season the figure was 42, but elevation to the National League North has brought with it a sterner test of the team’s ability.

Gray, however, does not see that as a valid explanation, and he said: “I’m sick of people saying we’ve gone up a level. Yes, we’re playing against better teams but we are better than we were too, so that excuse is not there for me.

“There’s no room for excuses, it’s about individuals doing their roles and taking responsibility.”

Angered by his team conceding a winner deep into injury time against Nuneaton Town last Saturday, Gray conducted an inquest before training at Eastbourne Sports Complex.

Having sought the assistance of club’s cameraman Kevin Luff, who films all of the team’s matches on a voluntary basis, footage of the 37 goals Quakers have conceded was shown to the players.

“I’ve had a massive meeting with the players this week and we went through every goal we have conceded this season,” said the manager.

“I’ve watched the video numerous times. Kev put it together for me and we analysed every goal from Altrincham on the first day of the season right up until now and you could’ve heard a pin drop.

“I asked the players for their views and we’ll be better for the meeting going forward. It’s the first time I’ve identified every goal we’ve conceded. Kev did a really good job for me, every goal was clipped down to about six seconds.

“We try to do things right to improve. Altrincham was a long time ago now, so I couldn’t remember exactly how the goals came about. I knew Peter Jameson saved a penalty, but there’s been 20 odd games since then.

“Looking at that game, someone didn’t do their job right and you forget that and that’s been the trend throughout the season, we haven’t done the basics.”

Darlington are the division’s second highest scorers on 54 - Fylde are on 72. But having kept one clean sheet all season, and after conceding at least twice in each of their last eight games, the onus this week has been on stopping other teams scoring.

The manager added: “It was a bit of wakeup call for them and they took it in the right manner. There was no finger pointing, everybody has played a part.

“I could’ve shown them the goals we have scored, but it’s not about what we’ve done well, it’s about what we’ve done badly.

“I didn’t want to dig anybody out, it was about everybody from the forwards right the way through the team: Someone has not done their job right which has contributed to a defeat or a draw.

“Performances have been okay, but we need consistency with results.

“Nobody has given us a footballing lesson, no matter who we have played against or where we have gone. The best team we played against this season has been Chorley, who we beat 2-0.

“Chorley had more possession, and I told the players ‘because you had something to hang on to you could build on it. When you go a goal down you give teams an incentive to hang on to their lead’.

“We’ve got to get back to a mentality where we do the basics better and be solid. Performances have been alright, but we’re having to win 3-2 to win matches.”

In August Darlington won 2-1 at Gloucester, who last week stopped their own poor run with a 1-0 win at Altrincham ending a sequence of six successive losses.

“We went down there and did ever so well,” added Gray. “It was a Sunday game, a long journey, we were very strong and we’ve got to have that same performance again. It was 2-1 but it was a comfortable 2-1.

“We’ve got to get back to being tough and hard to beat.”