Darlington winger David Poole has admitted that their 10-point deduction badly dented the squad's confidence.
Darlington winger admits confidence was badly dented
Darlington winger David Poole has admitted that their 10-point deduction badly dented the squad's confidence.
The Quakers have struggled with inconsistency ever since being punished by the Football League after entering administration.
Dave Penney's side have tumbled from a spot comfortably inside the top seven to seven points adrift of the play-offs, although they have a game in hand.
The former Manchester United trainee told
skysports.com that it was tough to see all their hard work undone by off-field problems.
Concentrate
He said: "It really did knock the stuffing out of us because we were looking good for automatic promotion and then suddenly we've got to do it all again to have any chance of a play-off place.
"It is so disheartening, but it has shown the character of the lads because we've been working hard on the training ground and it has shown our togetherness."
Although Poole admits that administration leaves players concerned over their future, those anxieties disappear once they step onto the field.
He added: "When something like this happens there are always going to be personal worries about your future because at the end of the day there are families to support and they have to look after themselves.
"It is always in the back on your mind, but as soon as you cross the white line it is all put to one side and you can concentrate on playing football."
