IN the relegation zone and having suffered seven defeats in their last nine league games, Darlington have that sinking feeling.

Manager Tommy Wright admitted his players were deflated after last night’s loss, when they were heading for a morale-boosting point against leaders Salford City.

They had fought back from going a goal down, but blew it with seconds to go, conceding a heart-breaking second to lose 2-1.

Furthermore, the result could have been so different had Reece Styche not been responsible for taking one of the worst penalties in the club’s recent history when the score was 0-0.

It was pathetic, an attempted chip caught with ease by the Salford goalkeeper, and the downhearted Quakers striker later apologised to team-mates and fans, and admitting: “Disgrace doesn’t come close to describing what just happened.”

Having scored six goals in his previous five games, however, Styche is still in well credit, and Wright appealed for fans to show leniency and stay behind the player.

“He shouldn’t have done it, he should’ve blasted it, but I’ve been a centre-forward full of confidence and that’s kind of thing that can happen.

“It takes a lot of balls for a player to take a penalty. He is full of beans, and the last thing I want to do is dwell on it.

“He has been a revelation for this club, we should get behind him and cheer him on.”

On the match, which came four days after losing 2-1 to York having been 1-0 up, Wright said: “It feels like I’m rewinding, pressing play and repeating the same things.

“On Saturday and tonight I don’t think we deserved to lose but we have.

“The lads are deflated. They keep talking about keeping clean sheets, so the minute they concede a goal their heads fall to pieces.

“We’ve got to change that mentality.”

Supporters barely had time to conclude the now traditional guessing game to work out Quakers’ ever-changing formation before Salford had their first attempt at goal, Mark Shelton off target after Mike Phenix’s cross-shot inside the first 30 seconds. 0-0 Wright has frequently changed formation during his ten games, last night opting for a slight alteration on Saturday’s 3-4-3, this time going for 3-4-1-2 with the recalled Josh Gillies behind strikers Greg Mills and Reece Styche.

Gillies was one of three changes, Phil Turnbull and Leon Scott both returning to midfield as Darlington sought a much-needed more solid approach.

It was the visitors who forced all of the first-half chances, however, but without seriously testing James Talbot.

Shelton went close when drilling a low free-kick wide, Phenix on the right of the area dragged a shot narrowly wide before Talbot made his first save, pushing over Thomas Walker’s effort from the left.

Darlington had an injury to contend with when Dom Collins went down, it later transpired to be a hamstring problem that will keep him out for the foreseeable future.

He was replaced by Tom Portas going to right-back, with Wright changing to 4-4-2.

Early in the second period Augustin Mafuta shanked a shot horribly wide from distance, the Salford midfielder for whom the second half was briefly delayed as he returned from the changing room late.

Not as late as Mills, however, who inexplicably re-entered play with almost two minutes gone, and it was not long before he made his presence felt, catching out Tom Walker who tripped the Darlington player to concede a penalty.

However, Styche got it horribly wrong. It was akin to Gary Lineker’s infamous miss versus Brazil in 1990, goalkeeper Maxime Crocombe catching the ball with ease.

It was a moment hugely embarrassing for the player, particularly bearing in mind it was 0-0 at the time – rather than being 4-0- up in injury time – and Darlington’s dire need for points.

He struck a disconsolate figure after the game, requesting an interview to say: “I’ve took to the fans, and they’ve took to me, but tonight I completely hold my hands up and apologise.

“It’s going to play on my mind for a long time and I just want to say to the fans that I sincerely apologise.”

Darlington were stunned by what had just happened and Salford took advantage, almost inevitably scoring within five minutes to go 1-0 up.

It came from a free-kick on the right drifted over the penalty area, the ball played back to Phenix and he smashed it home.

He struck it with the kind of venom Styche should have used, and before play restarted Stephen Thompson made his feelings clear by admonishing his team-mate.

It was with some irony then, with Darlington recovering well from going a goal down, that the pair involved in the verbal spat helped set up the equaliser 11 minutes later.

They exchanged passes on the edge of the penalty area, before playing in Gillies to put a goal on a plate for Mills with a pass across the six-yard box.

Darlington suddenly looked more confident, and for a time were on front foot, with Scott having a shot charged down.

Late on there a few scary moments though as Salford pressed. Portas got a foot in just as Josh Askew was about to pull the trigger, and Turnbull made a goal-line clearance.

But just when Quakers working out how the point would affect their position in the table, they were caught out with a simple ball over the top with sub Anthony Dudley running through to score.

Darlington are at Alfreton on Saturday, a must-not-lose game against 17th placed opposition.