WHEN you're a manager in your first season and lose two successive games in a week after a promising start, it would be easy to panic.

Not Gary Bennett.

The Darlington boss has faith in his side and believes they can be successful this season.

Blind faith, the cynics might say.

But defeats against Shrewsbury and Cheltenham last week have been the only disappointments so far.

The victory over Barnet was another example of a growing spirit within the Quakers camp.

The Londoners are one of those outfits who are always thereabouts in the promotion campaign.

But Bennett stuck to his guns and Darlington matched them with effort and grit, and were streets ahead when it came to quality.

They created the better chances and with a bit more luck they would have won by a bigger margin.

Luck is something you can't always rely on - and doesn't Lee Nogan know it. The striker was simply outstanding with an impressive array of touches and vision which you can't teach.

He was sending instinctive 35-yard crossfield balls as if they were cruise missiles heading for their target.

One such ball led to the winner in the tenth minute when the alert Paul Campbell latched on to the ball 30 yards out and raced clear before rounding Lee Harrison and rolling the ball calmly into the empty net.

Nogan was willing throughout, upfield and back to help his defenders out without a moment's hesitation.

He deserved a goal, but it wouldn't come no matter how he tried.

First he was denied by the legs of Barnet stopper Harrison in the seventh minute from a well-struck shot.

The closest he came was a minute from time when Jesper Hjorth, impressive as a half-time substitute, did well on the right and found him unmarked.

Nogan, who hasn't scored since the 2-0 win over Southend six games ago, coolly controlled the ball and smashed it goalwards, but Harrison made a tremendous save at his near post.

In injury-time, he was teed up by Stuart Elliott, but shot over.

To cap it all, he was bizarrely booked in the 33rd minute when Harrison tried to take a quick free-kick and it struck the back of Nogan as he was running back to take up a new position.

Referee Mark Cowburn, making some ludicrous decisions in a fairly good-tempered game, seemed to think that Nogan had eyes in the back of his head!

"Lee was so unlucky," admitted Darlington assistant manager Jim Montgomery.

"He was absolutely superb in what he did, he ran his socks off, held the ball up and did everything but score.

"I would have loved for him to score, but I have no worries that he will. He missed a penalty against Cheltenham, but that won't affect him.

"I am sure once he gets one, the goals will flow again."

Team-mate Campbell does enjoy good fortune against Barnet. Two years ago the 20-year-old scored a dream debut goal against John Still's outfit as they lost 3-2.

He notched career goal number six at the weekend and his confident play suggests a bright future.

That sums up Darlington as a whole.

As chairman George Reynolds stirred up the crowd with his exciting plans for the new stadium and ticket offers, the side showed the promise is there on the field too.

But Bennett must know that there is still a lot of hard work ahead and they have to keep battling as they did against Barnet with every player tireless.

He also knows he will probably have to add to his squad, especially up front.

Frenchman Lenit Zezu was handed his first start for the club, but despite his willingness, he looks raw and will need further time to adapt to the English game.

Hjorth, in comparison, was lively and almost added to the score with a superb run in the 76th minute.

He showed great skills to bamboozle and bewilder the Barnet backline before sending a fizzing drive just past Harrison's post.

Barnet's frontmen didn't exactly have the same impact with Darlington's defence in control.

Paul Heckingbottom and Adam Reed patrolled the wings attentively while Craig Liddle and Neil Aspin were towering in front of Andy Collett, recalled in place of the injured Frank van der Geest.

"It wasn't our best performance of the season, but we got the win and that was important after the two defeats," added Montgomery.

"We hammered Cheltenham and Shrewsbury yet came away with nothing. We had to scrap it out against Barnet and we created the better chances.

"I wouldn't mind ten of those performances on the trot as long as the result is the same.

Goals: Campbell (1-0 10mins).

Bookings: Nogan (not retreating).

Referee: Mark Cowburn (Blackpool).

Attendance: 3,929.

DARLINGTON (4-4-2): Collett 6; Reed 7, iddle 7, Aspin 7, Heckingbottom 7; Naylor 7, Gray 7, Elliott 7, Campbell 7 (Himsworth 81, 6); NOGAN 8, Zezu 6 (Hjorth 46, 7). Subs (not used): Kaak, Hodgson, Finch.

BARNET (3-5-2): Harrison 7; Heald 7, Arber 6, Basham 6 (Brown 66, 6); Stockley 6, Currie 6, Doolan 6, Toms 6 (Bell 57, 6), Sawyers 6; Charlery 6 (Strevens 71,6), McGleish 6. Subs (not used): Naisbitt, Goodhind.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Lee Nogan - did everything but score