After failing to score in each of their last two games, Dave Penney is considering altering the Darlington forward line this afternoon. But it is set-pieces Quakers have been working on this week.

Although unbeaten in 12 league games, Darlington have found goals difficult to come by, failing to find the net in each of the last two matches.

Penney can at least take heart from the fact his side did not concede against Walsall and Rochdale, but had they been able to score they would be in the play-offs by now.

Julian Joachim and Gregg Blundell have been the preferred line-up in each of those two matches, although a change in the forward line against Hereford United today is possible.

But as well as wanting his strikers to hit the back of the net more regularly, Penney would also like to see goals come from other sources too, especially from dead-ball situations.

Penney claims that 75 per cent of goals come via set-pieces, but only one of Darlington's last ten strikes have come via that route. That was Ian Miller's debut strike at home to Boston United last month, when Clark Keltie's free-kick was only cleared to Miller, who fired home.

Quakers have played nine games since Tim Ryan scored a free-kick at Grimsby Town two months ago and Penney said: "The onus is always on the strikers but sometimes goals have to come from other areas, like corners and free-kicks.

"We've been working on set-pieces this week to try to get a goal from those areas. Around 75 per cent of goals come from set-pieces so we need to score more than we have been doing.

"You need some big bodies in the area, which is an issue we have to address, and you've got to get the delivery right as well. It's no good just lumping the ball in for their keeper to catch, as has happened in the last couple of games.

"It's no good sending the big men up if you're not going to deliver a quality ball. There's some balls that have been going in recently that not even Alan Shearer would score from."

Under Penney's instruction, Darlington frequently take perplexing 'short' corners which are immediately passed back to the original corner taker to deliver a cross.

The manager explained the reasoning behind this routine, saying: "Sometimes it's hard for players to take a dead ball, some are good at it and some are not, so it just means they switch on a little bit better. Some like the ball rolling because that sets the play off.

"It changes the angle of the ball and it also brings two defenders out of the penalty area, so it's one less in the box.

"We talked about it in training regarding doing the same for free-kicks."

As usual, Penney prefers not to reveal his starting XI, but Tommy Wright and Alun Armstrong are in contention to start today.

Penney added: "We're 12 games unbeaten, which is encouraging, but we have only scored one goal in the last three so we've got to have a look at that.

"We've got four strikers, so we'll have a look at that situation.

"We always feel as though we are going to create chances. If we're not scoring we might have to look at our strikers if they aren't doing the business."

After being relegated in 1997, Hereford's visit to Darlington is their first since September '96 - the year the clubs met in the Division Three play-off semi-finals.

The Bulls' manager back then was Graham Turner, who is still at the helm today, and Penney does not expect his team to put men behind the ball as some have done in recent months at the 96.6TFM Darlington Arena.

Penney, Quakers' sixth managerial change since Darlington beat Hereford over two legs in the 1996s play-offs, said: "Hereford's results have been a bit up and down. They've lost a couple recently but before that went to Lincoln and won.

"Graham's teams usually like to play football so I don't think they will try to frustrate like some other teams have done. They aren't going to get sucked into the relegation zone so they will probably try to play football against us.

"I hope that's the case because then it should be a good game."

David Duke yesterday left Darlington by mutual consent, the seventh player to leave Quakers since Penney became manager.

He started Penney's first match in charge, at Tranmere Rovers in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, but has played just five games of the 25 since.