Darlington 4 Prescot Cables 2

Eight games remaining for Darlington, probably eight wins needed, and their next opportunity for three points is this evening at New Mills.

Win and they go top of the table for 24 hours at least as Salford City do not play until tomorrow evening when, in all likelihood, they will defeat Prescot Cables, the team Quakers easily overcame on Saturday.

Do not be fooled by the 4-2 scoreline. Darlington were dominant if not thrilling, while Prescot were pathetic.

Throughout the duration of a one-sided contest Prescot had only one touch of the ball in Darlington’s penalty area and that was a last-minute penalty.

Adam Mitchell made the most of the weak opposition. Back in his favoured right-wing position, he grabbed a hat-trick as Quakers put to bed the previous week’s disappointing defeat to Northwich Victoria, a boon for manager Martin Gray.

“We needed a win,” he admitted. “This is the business end of the season, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, we just needed a win.

“We had a good talk during the week, the players were reminded about that before the match and the response was great.

“It was a really convincing victory. The scoreline makes it sound like they were in the game, but that wasn’t the case at all.”

Yet Prescot had taken the lead early on when James Jenkins lobbed Peter Jameson from 30 yards, capitalising after a mix-up between Alan White and Chris Hunter.

A fine strike, but a sloppy one to let in and the fourth time in seven matches that Darlington have conceded the first goal inside the opening ten minutes.

Gray said: “It was another cheap goal given away and it drives me mad because we weren’t doing that two months ago. We’ve got to cut the errors out.

“Against another team, against somebody like Northwich Victoria, the opposition would’ve had something to hang on to. You can’t be giving goals away.”

Their lead did not last long, however, with Mitchell opening his account for the day with a volley after a corner taken by Terry Galbraith, whose penalty had been pushed wide by Cables keeper Ben Morrow after Liam Dodd hauled down Graeme Armstrong.

Galbraith, who has now missed three penalties this season, started at left-back in place of Ian Watson, who had a slight injury and was not risked.

Quakers continued to dominate for the remainder of the half, though failed to trouble Morrow until White deservedly put them ahead at half-time with a header from a Galbraith free-kick.

The abacus should’ve been out in the second half, an opportunity to increase goal difference, but Quakers were lacking in attacking flair and only scored twice more despite continuing to boss possession.

After Nathan Cartman put the ball over the bar when stretching for a loose ball in the six-yard box, on the hour Mitchell made it 3-1 by firing through a crowded penalty area after a Galbraith corner.

He completed his first hat-trick for the club with a shot in off the post at the end of a move that began with a Gary Brown throw-in and thereafter Darlington did not exert themselves, perhaps with this evening in mind.

Against the division’s bottom side, a repeat of Saturday’s showing would do nicely, though a last-minute penalty took some gloss off proceedings.

James Gardiner’s spot-kick, awarded after Jameson collided with the striker, became the 17th goal Quakers have conceded in 11 matches. In their previous 23 matches they had conceded just 13.

Other than the early lapse, the defence looked solid, but Gray will have to make do without White this evening as well as hat-trick hero Mitchell, as both serve suspensions as a consequence of their conduct after being sent off in the defeat at Salford City in January.

Both have already served bans after being sent off in the game, but referee Barry Cropp reported the pair for using abusive/insulting language towards the match officials after being dismissed.

At a hearing in Leeds on Thursday, which neither player decided to attend, both were deemed to have been found guilty of breaches of FA rule E3, so White sits out two games and Mitchell one.

At a critical time of the season, and when form has been patchy, the suspensions are a blow, but Gray was still full of praise after Mitchell’s treble.

“He’s been asked to play right-back for the last few games, but we do know that he’s more effective higher up the pitch.

“He’s been on trial at Gillingham this week and played a full game against Portsmouth, so he’s come back and put in a big performance and scored a hat-trick, so I’m delighted for the kid.”

Goals: Jenkins (9, 0-1); Mitchell (14, 1-1), White (41, 2-1), Mitchell (58, 3-1), Mitchell (70, 4-1) Gardiner pen (90, 4-2)

Bookings: Gardiner (41, foul), Harper (44, foul), Evans (77, foul); Brown (81, foul), Hunter (83, dissent)

Referee: Danny Markham (Washington) 6

Attendance: 927

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson 6; Brown 7, White 7, Hunter 7, Galbraith 8; A MITCHELL 8, Scott 7, Portas 7, Thompson 6 (Mota 66, 5); Cartman 6 (Dowson 60, 6), Armstrong 6 (Hatch 60, 5). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Weldon

Prescot Cables (4-4-2): Morrow 7, Flood 6, Harper 5, Sturtz-Rivelli 4 (O’Reilly 38, 5), Dodd 4, McCulloch 3, Phillips 3, Evans 4, Jenkins 4 (Edgar 67, 5), Gardiner 6, Durnin 3. Subs (not used): Quinn (gk), Prince, Black

MAN OF THE MATCH

Adam Mitchell – Three goals on his return to his favoured position