It’s amazing what a win can do.

“I’m a much happier man than I was last Saturday,” said Darlington manager Martin Gray, after seeing his side collect three points of the much-needed variety, beating Bamber Bridge 2-1 for the second time this season.

Unexpected back-to-back defeats had left his side in desperate need of a win, any kind of win.

Coming after a much-improved performance against a side vying for the play-offs, Saturday’s victory at Heritage Park gave Darlington an injection of self-belief, eradicating the pain of losing at Kendal and Farsley over the previous week.

“It was a massive, massive three points,” admitted Gray. “We knew the importance of a win today. It was well-deserved and we were back to what we’re about. We had lots of energy I felt we overpowered them.

“It was a great response. Bamber Bridge are a good team. They win more than they lose and they’ve got some good players, a good blend of experience and youth. They take some beating.”

While the win gives Darlington a more upbeat outlook, Saturday’s result did not change a great deal. They remain three points adrift of leaders Salford City, who pummelled Padiham 6-0, but at least Quakers were smiling again, if not a tad relieved too.

Particularly Gray, who made the brave decision to drop Alan White, sent off last week, and leading scorer Graeme Armstrong.

Gray explained: “White was purely about discipline, I can’t condone what he did, simple as that. I put David Dowson in for Graeme because I felt we needed a bit of energy and he gave us that for the hour he was on.

“It’s always a big decision when you take out two players that have played 99 per cent of your games, but that’s what you’re judged on.

“It’s about the team, not individuals, and everybody played their part.”

Out-of-favour White was not even on the bench, his biggest input coming on Saturday evening when the feel-good factor continued at a Back to Darlo fundraising comedy event at Blackwell Meadows.

An unaware comedian picked out a punter to ask what he’d been up to during the day, and it turned out he’d chosen White. The response? “I’ve been to watch Darlo.”

From his seat in the stand the veteran defender saw first half goals by midfielders Tom Portas and Leon Scott, as Darlington returned to form.

The teams traded half-chances for the first 20 minutes, and then came three goals in 11 minutes, the first seeing Portas put Quakers ahead with a fine individual effort.

He collected possession close to the dug-outs, bursting beyond a couple of challenges and powering through midfield and then letting fly with the outside of his right foot.

The 28th minute strike is easily one of Quakers’ best this season, and Gray added: “It was a fantastic goal, making a run like that at the speed on that pitch takes some doing.

“He took people on and then hit the ball with the outside of his foot from 20-25 yards. He does it in training and you don’t forget it when he hits the ball as sweetly as that.”

It was soon 2-0 after another good goal, this was one owing much to team play and it typified the passing football employed on Saturday. Quakers retained possession after a corner, before Stephen Thompson passed into the penalty area for Leon Scott to score from close-range, only to see Brig quickly pull one back.

Alistair Waddecarr’s 16th goal of the season gave them a lifeline. He slotted past Peter Jameson after an Andrew Bell through-ball, though Darlington were impaired at that point due to Gary Brown’s groin injury, and he was soon replaced by Liam Hatch.

With White out of favour and soon to be suspended, Gray would surely have no concerns about handing Hatch an extended run at centre-back.

He won every ball, not giving a sniff to debutant Jon Macken, the ex-Manchester City striker, during a second half in which a the visitors failed to seriously test Quakers, who could even afford to miss a penalty.

Terry Galbraith struck the outside of the post after Matt Lawlor had handled, and Darlington were also denied extending their lead thanks to a fine save by Lee Dovey to stop Nathan Cartman’s volley, meaning Quakers’ single-goal margin led to some nervy closing stages.

Gray, though, says he sensed victory from an early stage.

“I didn’t think we would get beat from the moment we started today,” he said. “I read Neil Redfearn’s comments after Leeds United beat Middlesbrough, he said a similar thing. As a manager, you know when your players are at it or not and I felt that way after the first ten minutes.

“I was very confident from that point, I was just disappointed that we gave that goal away due to a mistake, a bad decision someone made.

“Instead of being 2-1 at half-time it should’ve been 2-0. But we created numerous chances in the second half and it was a great team performance.”

Goals: Portas (28, 1-0), Scott (35, 2-0); Waddecar (38, 2-1)

Bookings: Cartman (31, foul); C Thompson (70, foul), Steel (79, foul), McKenna (86, foul), Lawlor (90, foul)

Referee: Terry Fletcher (Washington) 8

Attendance: 1,050

Entertainment: ***

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson 6; A Mitchell 7, Brown 6 (Hatch 40, 8), Hunter 7, Watson 7; Thompson 7, PORTAS 8, Scott 7, Galbraith 7; Dowson 7 (Armstrong 60, 6), Cartman 6. Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Cartwright, Mota

Bamber Bridge (4-4-2): DOVEY 7; Steel 6, Lawlor 6, Muscat 6, Marlow 6; Thompson 6 (Green 83), Kay 5 (Bell 26, 6), McKenna 5, Vasey 6 (Pickup 66); Macken 4, Waddecar 6. Subs (not used): Reynolds (gk), Alexander

MAN OF THE MATCH

Tom Portas – Ran the game from midfield