Clarke, who has seen his side suffer five defeats in a row, admitted that Gaffney had failed to make the most of some of the opportunities afforded to him, but backed the forward to keep working hard in a view to getting back among the goal.
Gaffney, who also played under Clarke at previous clubs, has made eleven Saddlers appearances since joining on loan from the Ammies but is yet to open his goal-scoring account.
Manager Clarke went on to insist that his team is doing well on the training ground but must begin to convert that to matchday situations of they are to get out of the current dismal spell of form.
Speaking via the Express & Star, Darrell said; "Rory’s feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders at the minute. He’s had some tremendous chances that he normally slotted in for me over the years.
"I think he’s feeling it. You can’t question his work rate and desire but he’s not scoring the goals. He’s putting a hell of a shift in for the team, he’ll know that.
"We need a bit of competition up there, take a little bit of the pressure off the boys. They’re an honest set, they really are. We’re working very hard. It’s a counselling session for my strikers at the minute.
"We do a lot of work on finishing. But I can finish in training can’t I, it’s under the pressure of games where you’ve got to it. That’s why the strikers get paid top dollars to put the ball in the back of the net.
"We haven’t done it in massive moments this season, it’s probably the difference between a twelve-point swing, quite comfortably. I don’t feel like anybody has overrun us in any game, whatsoever."