Torquay United 5 Darlington 0

Dec 13 2009 Sunday Sun

DARLINGTON manager Steve Staunton admitted that he was at his wits’ end as Quakers dropped closer to the Conference after their emphatic defeat at Plainmoor.

Torquay were just three places above Darlington at the start of play but they might as well have been three divisions above them considering their superiority.

Staunton, who has yet to see his side pick up an away point while he has been in charge, said: "I don’t know what I can do. During the week in training we work on all sorts of things but then when it comes to a match the players are all over the place.

"All of the goals were bad goals but it has been like that all season. We just keep conceding sloppy goals."

Quakers were pulled apart by the pace of Chris Zedroski and Jake Thomson in the first half.

Wayne Carlisle curled a left-foot shot over the bar, and then Darlington defender Danny Hall headed an effort by Chris Robertson off the line.

But the Gulls took the lead after 17 minutes when Zedroski quickly controlled a long clearance, turned Darlington defender Mark Bower inside out and beat Nick Liversedge with a blistering shot.