DARLINGTON must cut out their mistakes if they are to reduce the number of goals they are regularly conceding, says manager Tommy Wright, who retains a belief that the team’s fortunes will improve soon.

The three goals shipped last Friday at home in a defeat to Harrogate Town in the FA Trophy took the tally to 13 in Wright’s five games in charge so far.

The trend is nothing new, however. Of Quakers’ 67 games since August 2016, Darlington’s defence has been breached 108 times.

Of greater concern to Wright is the team’s recent defensive frailties, and he admitted: “There have been silly goals.

“We’ve done a lot of work defensively and, it sounds daft saying it, and Reece Styche said the same afterwards, but we looked solid defensively but we conceded three goals.

“How can you be solid and ship three goals?

“If we were getting carved open I’d be worried. When confidence is down or luck is against you, mistakes creep in.

“The level of football we’re at, you’ve got to expect mistakes, but we’ve got to start preventing them, we’ve got to work hard and start making better decisions on the ball. I think we’ve been taking too many risks.”

Quakers’ next match is a week tomorrow at home to top-of-the-table Salford City, who have yet to lose a league fixture away from home this season.

“The bigger the game the better for this group,” added Wright. “If we had North Ferriby next Saturday it would be a pressure pot. It would be two teams struggling at the wrong end of the league and you can get drawn into it being a six-pointer.

“I’d prefer to play against one of the boys and say ‘You’ve beaten these once, go and beat them again’.

“Confidence is a temporary thing, you don’t become a bad player overnight and you don’t forget how hard you’ve got to work to win a game of football. I think it is turning, I’m confident.”

Ed Wilczynski has been given an opportunity in goal lately, replacing Adam Bartlett who left to join York City, and Wright is considering bringing in a goalkeeper ahead of the Salford match.

He spoke to a Championship club yesterday about signing a youngster on loan.