Final Score: Gateshead 4 Darlington 1

A TEENAGE Darlington team could be proud of their performance last night, despite losing night's Durham Challenge Cup tie to Gateshead.

The Heed won 4-1 at the International Stadium with Brendon Daniels scoring a hat-trick, but the young Quakers team could be pleased with their showing.

Both teams made major changes with Quakers boss Martin Gray not risking anyone who will start Saturday's game at Harrogate Railway Athletic, so eight youth team players got the nod.

Also included were goalkeeper Peter Jameson, left-back Paul Weldon, who played the first 45 minutes in his return from injury, and midfielder Leon Scott, who begins a three-match ban this weekend.

Former Darlington players Joe Tait, Micky Cummins and Rob Ramshaw started for the hosts.

Trialist midfielder Greg McDermott started for the Heed and winger Daniels put them ahead on 11 minutes.

After Ramshaw saw a shot saved, Daniels knocked in the rebound and it was 2-0 on the half-hour, the winger firing from 16 yards into the top corner after Boyes headed down a Cummins cross.

He completed his hat-trick just after the restart from just inside the box, before Quakers pulled it back to 3-1 when substitute James Lupton took the ball past Tait and fired in off the post.

Boyes added the fourth when he slid the ball into the net from Luke O'Brien's cross.

While Gateshead could have scored more, especially before the break, Quakers played really good football at times against a solid and more experienced side.

Gateshead: Baird, Gurr, O'Brien, Ure, Tait, McDermott (Lowes 26), Ramshaw, Cummins, Kanda, Boyes, Daniels

Darlington: Jameson, Pickering, O'Connor (Dow 79), Weldon, Lovegreen, Mitchell, Byrne, Scott, Turner (Young 61), Coatsworth, Allison.

Attendance: 233