In the Hot Seat: Dave Penney - Darlington

Before last Saturday, Darlington had scored just two league goals in their first three league games but the Quakers rediscovered their goalscoring touch in no uncertain terms after a 6-0 demolition of Macclesfield at Moss Rose. That margin of victory was Darlington's biggest away win for 26 years, with striker Billy Clarke taking his seasonal tally to five after superb a four-goal haul. That result saw Darlo climb to mid-table in League Two and, as givemefootball's Mark Shail discovered, manager Dave Penney felt that sort of performance had been on the cards for a while.

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN DELIGHTED WITH THE SCORELINE AT MACCLESFIELD LAST WEEK?
I felt sometimes we have been trying to pass the ball into the net. Watford (in the Carling Cup) had a shot last week that took a deflection and dropped down nicely for somebody else to score. So we had said during the week that if there is an option to shoot to go on and do so – it could either go in the net or drop nicely for someone else. I'd never have a go at someone having a shot from 30 yards as long as it hits the target.

AND YOU HAVE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THE RESULT DIDN'T SURPRISE YOU?
I felt it was a matter of time and it just needed the players to keep believing in what they were doing. The way we have played in these first few games, I felt it wouldn't be long before we put some goals past somebody. We knew that if we started the game brightly and got amongst them early on, which we have in all six games now, then Macclesfield could be thinking 'here we go again'. So once the second goal went in it sickened them off.

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF ON-LOAN STRIKER BILLY CLARKE?
You can see the quality of Clarke's finishing. He tucked all his goals away really well and his 30-yarder was nothing but superb. It's been coming for a long time and I'm just sorry we haven't got more points on the board already because we have not been converting the chances we've made – but in that game everything went in.

SO YOU FEEL THE SIDE HAS BEEN PLAYING WELL WITHOUT PERHAPS PICKING UP THE POINTS YOU SHOULD HAVE?
Apart from the second half in the first game of the season, all the performances have been encouraging and we should have a lot more points by now than we have. It's pleasing that we're playing a lot better football than we were at this stage last season, but we haven't got as many points. It's time to turn these performances into winning matches.

ARE YOU HOPEFUL OF MOUNTING ANOTHER PROMOTION CHALLENGE?
I'm delighted with the players we've got at the club. We've been waiting for a few to come back from injury and hopefully they are there or thereabouts now. If we can keep the squad fit it is a better squad than last year. And if we do not get as many injuries we should do as well as last year.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CAPTURE OF STRIKER LIAM HATCH ON-LOAN FROM PETERBOROUGH?
We'd been after him for a while but first we were told he wasn't available on loan but we kept asking the question and eventually they said he was available. With all the crosses we've had going into the box we've needed someone in there and Liams 6ft 3ins and fantastic in the air.