ACCRINGTON Stanley got off to the worst possible start at the Darlington Arena as they went down 1-0 tonight.

David Stockdale hoofed the ball down field after a Stanley attack and caught the Stanley defence totally flat-footed.

New signing Kevin Gall held off the attentions of Robbie Williams and was able to flick the ball over the on-rushing Ian Dunbavin.

The ball rebounded off the crossbar but Tommy Wright was able to steal in front of Leam Richardson and head the ball into an empty net.

The rest of the first half was a largely non-descript affair.

Darlington looked the more likely to score and, though the Stanley defending looked less then solid at times, they were able to keep the Quakers out.

Mark King, playing wide out on the left, brought the first save from Stockdale on 14 minutes with a curling effort but the Darlington keeper easily tipped the ball over the bar.

Ian Craney had a couple of efforts on target before Wright fired just past the angle of Stanley's post and bar on 33 minutes Micky Cummins then brought a flying stop from Dunbavin with a volley as Darlington started to turn up the heat.

King then should have done better when he shrugged off his marker to get on the end of Andy Todd's centre but totally miscued his header.

Just before the interval, Andy Procter and Paul Mullin combined but failed to trouble the keeper when the opportunity presented itelf.

Stanley bos Coleman abandoned his seat in the stands and and get back to the dug out and almost saw his side level the scores just seconds after the restart.

Jay Harris did well to win the ball and hold off his marker and fed in Craney who fired just wide.

But neither side could suitably combat the pitch and chances were few and far between although the game did momentarily spark into the life on the hour.

Firstly, a long-ball almost caught out the Quakers as Steve Foster got a head on a ball he should have left alone to leave Stockdale for dead but Ryan Valentine hacked the ball clear.

Then the Quakers broke and as the ball was fed into the box, Paul Mayo laid the ball back to Joachim who fired just wide.

A minute later, Neil Austin tested Dunbavin with a long-range effort but the Stanley keeper gathered well.

After that, it seemed the game was ebbing towards its inevitable conclusion.

Dunbavin produced decent stops to keep out Kevin Gall and Gregg Blundell with Stanley still searching for a precious equaliser at the other end.

Leighton McGivern entered the fray in the 77th minute and Stanley almost got back on terms instantly.

Craney's powerful shot brought a great stop from Stockdale and Mullin's header from the keeper's parry lobbed just over the bar.

Joachim very nearly settled things five minutes from the end but his rasping drive was deflected wide and from the resultant corner, Ian Miller's header looped just over the bar.

Craney saw a shot whizz past the upright just before the end but that was the last in the way of meaningful action.

This defeat was Stanley's third on the bounce with the Reds collecting just one point from a possible 15.

With the transfer window about to shut, Coleman would like a couple of players.What he definitely needs is a change in fortunes.