JOSH GOWLING admits his Darlington side have to start defending better after they gifted King’s Lynn the points in Saturday's relegation battle at Blackwell Meadows.

Quakers’ defending has been questionable at times this season, but it reached new depths after a defensive clanger in the first minute gave the Norfolk side something to hang on to. While Gowling's side equalised, another costly mistake gave the visitors the points.

The result means Quakers stay bottom, without a home league win this season, but Gowling was still encouraged by the way his players fought back, albeit without success.

“The game didn’t start great, did it?  We conceded after 19 seconds,” he said. “When you’re down there, you do the basics well in the first 15 minutes, so to shoot yourself in the foot after 19 seconds is not fantastic. Credit to the boys, they got back into it, but then we conceded another poor goal. We’ve given them two goals.

“I thought after the first goal, we controlled the whole game. We don’t mark well enough from crosses, and when we clear balls, we’re not picking up the second phase which is where their second goal came from.

“There is a long way to go yet this season. I’m disappointed, but I said to the lads that if I have to drag them kicking and screaming to where I want to go, then I’ll do that.

“When we start defending better, then the goals will come, because when you give teams the lead, chances become more pressure.

"We’ve got to throw our bodies on the line in certain areas of the game. The lads want to do well for the club, but when confidence is fragile, and something like that happens after 19 seconds, then you’ve got a wobble. I’ve been in this position before, but with the quality we’ve got in this squad, we’ll get it right.”

Quakers wanted a good start, but those hopes lasted for all of 19 seconds, when King’s Lynn won possession straight from the kick-off. The ball was played by Tom Clifford up the left where Darlington defender Jack Hannah missed the ball completely, allowing Josh Barrett to race through unchallenged and slot a neat finish into the bottom right corner past the exposed David Robson.

Quakers then put together some good pressure. Will Hatfield fired just over the bar, and new signing Jonny Ngandu curled an effort straight at Paul Jones.

Toby Lees then headed a good Cameron Salkeld cross from the right into the keeper’s hands, before Jacob Hazel headed the equaliser, his second goal of the season, from Ben Hedley’s left-wing cross.

However, the visitors again sliced through the home defence on 21 minutes when Barrett broke through on the left again, and his low shot went through a crowd of players into the net.

Barrett nearly completed a first half hat-trick but his curling free-kick from 30 yards went just past the post, and then his free-kick from just outside the area took a deflection and went just wide. He then hit a low shot that Robson just managed to push away.

Quakers dominated the second half but couldn’t find a killer touch in front of goal. They did, however, seem to have at least two strong penalty claims turned down.

Ngandu, who had an impressive debut, curled over a free-kick for Lees to head wide, then he had a powerful right-foot shot that Jones could only parry, and Andrew Nelson blasted over the top.

Hatfield was booked for simulation in the area after he seemed to be tripped, and then five minutes later, Jones went full length to save from Hazel’s 20-yarder.

Quakers went even closer on 70 minutes when after great work by Hatfield, Hazel laid the ball off for Nelson, who hit the post from the edge of the area.

There was a strong penalty shout when Hazel seemed to be wrestled to the ground as he waited for the ball to drop to him in the box, but again the referee waved play on.

After the visitors’ Adam Crowther was dismissed for his second yellow, Quakers had another loud shout for a penalty when Hatfield seemed to be pushed, but again the referee waved his appeals away.

“I thought one of those was at least a penalty,” said Gowling.