AFTER months of uncertainty, David Hodgson feels the pressures of success have got the better of his Darlington side and effectively decided their play-off fate.

Though not a million miles away from that elusive seventh spot, with three points separating them from Lincoln, with two games to go, Darlington's 15th defeat of the season could prove the most costly.

League Two may be the most forgiving division in England, but it would appear Darlington have now had their last chance and blown it.

The words 'mathematically possible' uttered by Hodgson after Saturday's defeat to struggling Bury only blanket the true realisation that it would take a small miracle for Darlington to finish in the top seven.

With Lincoln and Peterborough three points ahead, and with a significantly better goal difference, both would need to lose at least one of their remaining two games for Hodgson's men to even stand a chance.

And, with Bristol Rovers moving above Quakers after their 3-1 win over Boston, hopes of reaching the play-offs for the first time since 2000 are seemingly over.

It was six years ago to the weekend that a 4-0 win over Bury at Feethams kept Quakers in contention for an automatic promotion spot, before they eventually had to settle for a play-off place.

On Saturday, for the umpteenth occasion this season, Quakers failed to rise to the occasion when it has mattered.

Against a Bury side, which began the day just three points above the relegation zone, there couldn't have been a better opportunity to remain in touch with the play-off chasing pack.

But, the outcome of this encounter was effectively decided by the side, which dealt with their predicament best.

"Mathematically, it is still possible, but the pressure of being successful has been proven today in our performance," said Hodgson.

"There are pressures for failure and there are pressures for success. You'd be very surprised how many people can deal with pressures of failure by constantly going and getting a victory like that.

"We're dealing with the pressure of reaching the play-offs and we wilted to it."

Perhaps the most disconcerting factor was that Quakers were unable to maintain their early lead, which came about in the most bizarre of circumstances.

Clark Keltie's looping ball into the Bury box was more hit and hope if anything, but in his attempts to clear the ball, Chris Brass inadvertently hooked the ball against his own head and into the back of the net.

A goal certain to grace the next football bloopers video.

Quakers showed no indication that they were prepared to sit on their fortuitous lead. In hindsight, perhaps they should have done, given David Flitcroft's 22nd minute equaliser.

The midfielder was allowed time and space 25 yards from goal, before curling his effort into the top corner of Sam Russell's goal.

Before scoring his eighth goal of the season with ten minutes of the game remaining, Akpo Sodje had already squandered several chances to put Bury out of sight.

The visitors also had the foot of the upright to thank for keeping out David Duke's low effort in the 65th minute.

But, after some wasteful finishing, Sodje was finally able to find the net when he headed home Shelton Martis' corner from close range.

The set-piece, which led to Sodje's goal shouldn't have even been given after former Quakers loanee Kasper Schmeichel - who was given a warm reception on his return to the club - appeared to keep the ball in play, before referee Keith Hill awarded a corner.

Schmeichel was booked for his protestations and seconds later he was picking the ball out of the back of the net.

But, just as Quakers appeared to be heading for a crucial win, Bury drew level for the second time in the game with five minutes remaining.

Shelton Martis was penalised for his foul on Matthew Tipton on the edge of the Quakers box and former Hartlepool loan midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy tucked the resulting free-kick away with the aid of a deflection off the wall and the underside of the cross-bar.

"When they made it 2-2 I thought 'OK, we're not going to get another one, but lets hang on for the draw'," said Hodgson. "A point at this stage would not be such a bad thing on the back of the performance."

However, with the game deep in injury time - two minutes over the three the fourth official had held up - Tipton was quickest to react to Barry-Murphy's corner and the substitute was able to poke home from two yards out.

"To see the third goal go in and the manner in which it went in, I just felt like falling to my knees and crying," admitted Hodgson.

"That third goal was just as farcical as the first, which was given to us."

Defeat at Wycombe this weekend will spell the end of Quakers' season, if, after Saturday's loss, it isn't already.

"It's going to be an horrendous week because I will find it very difficult to deal with a performance like that," said Hodgson. "The win should have been ours and we only have ourselves to blame."

Result: Darlington 2, Bury 3.

Read more about the Quakers here.