HAVING put together a decent run of form that included a glut of goals at The Northern Echo Arena, Darlington’s optimism has been tempered with two disappointing draws.

Last Saturday’s uninspiring performance at Tamworth followed by the midweek stalemate at home to Mansfield has dampened spirits.

The mood was certainly downbeat on Tuesday as Quakers struggled during a lifeless 90 minutes that frustrated manager Mark Cooper.

The game was in contrast to the most recent Arena fixtures.

The previous five home games had seen Darlington score 13 goals with a minimum of three scored in four of those games.

Such a run heightened expectations and fans were quick to show their displeasure against Mansfield with boos heard at the final whistle, but Cooper hopes the fans will show their support when his side take on former club Kettering Town today.

He said: “Up until the other night, we’ve been really entertaining in recent games, scored lots of goals and played some good football. But we had a sticky spell and the fans started to turn.

“They’ve been fantastic in recent weeks and I’d ask that they stay with us. We’re trying to get things right, but it was never going to happen overnight.

“I’ve no problem with the crowd, the only issue is that when we’re not playing well – or as soon as there’s a bad pass – the players can hear everything that is shouted at them and that doesn’t help.

“When we play away, the support is really good, as it was against Crawley and Bristol Rovers when the atmosphere was fantastic and if it could get back to that it would be greatly appreciated by myself and the players.

“I understand that people want to see good football and we have been trying to play really good football in the last few home games until Tuesday.

We need their support.”

Darlington are unbeaten in six and are nine points off the play-offs, but Cooper is aware his team needs to begin closing the gap on the top five.

“It’s very important to keep the run going,” he admitted.

“We’ve had other runs this season and if we could’ve turned four of our draws into wins – that’s eight points – we would be much closer to where we want to be.

“We’ve got to put that right in the last 20 games of the season.

Sooner or later we’ve got to put three or four wins together to close the gap, it’s no good saying we’re still in touch. We’ve got to win consecutive games and beat teams around us in the table.”

One of those teams near 11th placed Darlington is today’s opponents Kettering.

They sit only two points short of Quakers during their first full season since Cooper left for Peterborough United in November 2009.

Although Cooper achieved national prominence with the Poppies due to some shock FA Cup wins, a league high point was leading them to the Blue Square North title in 2007-08.

Though not one to dwell on nostalgia, Cooper admits to enjoying his time at Rockingham Road.

“It was a brilliant season,”

he said. We won a record number of points and had some decent players. We were getting good crowds for that level and there was always a good atmosphere.

“We were more or less winning every week and no matter what level of football you’re at, winning is enjoyable.

“We won the Conference North comfortably, got the club back in the Conference and we had a good first season.

“We were up near the playoffs for the majority of the season and reached the fourth round of the FA Cup. We knocked out Notts County and Lincoln and reached the fourth round, losing to Fulham.

“When you’ve won so many games and do well as a club then you’re inevitably going to have fond memories, but things move on.’’ Cooper signed defender Greg Taylor from Kettering earlier this month but the terms of his transfer means he is unavailable today so Paul Arnison returns at rightback.

Arnison was surprisingly axed in midweek with Cooper explaining that selecting Taylor, who the manager says is quicker than Arnison, was a move aimed at combating Mansfield’s pacey left-winger Lee Briscoe.

But Taylor cannot play today or in the FA Trophy tie at AFC Telford next week.