UNLIKE Darlington, Michael Bridges - the one that got away, - will be playing in League One next season.

The former Sunderland and Newcastle striker has been influential in ensuring Carlisle's second promotion in as many years.

Had Darlington's stringent wage structure been relaxed to make way for Bridges, Quakers may have been celebrating promotion for the first time since 1991.

Just like last season, inconsistency is a word which has been bandied around so often.

But the cause of erratic form hasn't been difficult to pinpoint.

Darlington can huff and puff all day, but without a 20-goal-a-season striker, they can't expect much more.

Champions Carlisle can look forward to League One football next season, largely thanks to the strike pairing of Karl Hawley and Bridges, who, between them, have bagged 42 goals.

Bridges' success is especially difficult to swallow, given that the one-time £5m man almost joined Quakers last November.

Before Guy Ndumbu-Nsungu hit a purple patch in December, Hodgson turned to Bridges as a replacement for sacked striker Clyde Wijnhard.

While Bridges opted for a bulkier pay packet at Carlisle, and Wijnhard was packed off to Macclesfield, Hodgson was left down the river without the proverbial paddle when Ndumbu-Nsungu departed for Cardiff in January.

"When you consider that we didn't have a strikeforce I'm proud of what these kids have achieved," said Hodgson. "We lost key players - Clyde, Guy and Tresor Kandol. Don't tell me those three strikers would not have scored six to eight goals between them.

"They would have and we wouldn't be sitting where we are now. We would be sitting comfortably in the play-offs or even higher.

"The greatest example is Michael Bridges.

"We should have had him, he wanted to come, but he signed for Carlisle. They were below us and where are they now? They're champions because they have a striker who can score goals."

Instead, Darlington, and their long-suffering fans, have endured yet another torturous campaign of mediocrity.

Hodgson cannot be faulted in his attempts to solve the profligacy in front of goal, but given the use of 11 strikers, neither can he be praised either.

Akpo Sodje is an alternative. A player to bring on perhaps when the chips are down. As an out-an-out striker? Perhaps not.

Andy Cooke will return to Bradford City with three goals to his name, while Guy Bates has yet to carry his goalscoring form at reserve team level into Hodgson's starting XI.

With Jemal Johnson back at Blackburn nursing a knee injury, Sodje and Bates were charged with the task of performing a small miracle for Darlington at the weekend.

But, with a draw enough to secure Lincoln's place in the play-offs, not even a hat-trick apiece from Darlington's latest strike-pairing would have been enough. Not that they ever looked in danger of achieving such feats.

Sodje caused some problems with his darting pace, but that was about it.

Ironically, it was a player signed by Hodgson as a striker, but now operating as a winger, who was the most promising outlet early on.

Simon Johnson's best spell in the game was in the opening 25 minutes.

His pace and trickery had Wrexham's defenders in a spin, especially Adam Holt, who appeared to charge Johnson's cross down with a hand, only for a dismissive shake of the head from referee Kevin Friend.

Minutes later, Quakers found themselves a goal down. If ever Darlington's strikers needed a lesson in how to strike the ball then Wrexham captain Danny Williams provided it with aplomb.

Carlos Logan appeared to be fouled in the build-up, but when Matt Derbyshire laid the ball across for Williams, the midfielder unleashed his first time drive into the top corner.

With Peterborough trailing - news brought about by the big screen - and Lincoln goalless, Hodgson's reaction was to push Logan and Johnson further up the field from their wide flanks, effectively forming a 4-2-4 formation.

Audacious to say the least, but it almost came up trumps early in the second half when the woodwork twice came to Wrexham's aid.

First, Logan saw his free-kick rebound off the upright, before former Quakers and Sunderland keeper Michael Ingham brilliantly tipped Bates' drive on to the bar and over.

Russell was equally able at the other end, saving well from Matty Done, before watching Jon Walters glance his header wide.

In one final bold move, Hodgson made a Mourinho-esque triple substitution in the 63rd minute. And, it was the introduction of Neil Wainwright, which proved most effective.

There was suddenly a sense of urgency about Darlington's game, largely thanks to Wainwright's willingness to run at defenders.

But, even after the former Wrexham winger's injury time corner was headed home by Cooke, it proved too little too late.

"I told the players before the game that I was not interested in whether or not Lincoln or Peterborough win," said Hodgson.

"All I was interested in was that they went out on to that pitch and make sure people leave this ground with a happy taste in their mouth, as opposed to a bitter taste.

"We just couldn't rise to it."

One of the biggest cheers of the day came with news that Darlington will be joined in League Two by Hartlepool United next season.

Scant consolation, but at least Darlington's fans will have something to look forward to next season.

Result: Darlington 1, Wrexham 1.

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