Darlington 5 Ossett Town 0

Darlington put last week’s frustrating defeat to Salford City behind them with a big win against struggling Ossett Town that takes them into second place.

They are now second, above Northwich Victoria who lost 1-0 at Lancaster City, and only three points behind leaders Salford with four games in hand.

Due to their superior goal difference, Darlington will go top of the table if they win at Padiham on Wednesday, in what will be the first of four successive away games.

They swept Ossett at Heritage Park with four players on the scoresheet: Terry Galbraith, Gary Brown (2), Nathan Cartman and Tom Portas.

It was 2-0 at the break thanks to goals by Galbraith and Brown.

The first goal came on six minutes after nice build-up that saw Graeme Armstrong and strike-partner Cartman exchange passes inside the penalty area before Galbraith fired home his sixth league goal of the season from close-range on six minutes.

Cartman, without a goal in his first two Darlington games, was making his first appearance for the club at Heritage Park and was inches from crowning the occasion with an exquisite chip.

In the match programme he said: “I hardly score from outside the box”, but he chipped the keeper from 20 yards, the ball, however, rebounding off an upright and back into keeper’s hands.

The remainder of the half was largely scrappy, although Ossett did have a bright spell in which they got at Darlington down their right-wing.

After centre-midfielder Sam Akeroyd hit the top of stand with a long-range shot, Quakers goalkeeper Peter Jameson made a fine one-handed save it keep it at 1-0. Ross Armstrong’s ball pierced Darlington’s defence, playing in marauding left-back Steven Jeff whose fierce rising shot was palmed away for a corner by Jameson.

After a couple of near misses – Armstrong saw a shot deflected into the keeper off a defender - just before half-time Darlington added a confidence-boosting second, Brown scoring.

He flicked home at the near post after a corner had not been cleared and Galbraith played the ball back into the area where Brown got the last touch after Armstrong’s flick.

Brown was in his favoured centre-back position, filling in for Chris Hunter, who was unavailable due to being married yesterday. In Brown’s place at right-back was Adam Mitchell, who looked at home in the position, while Nelson Mota made a rare start on the wing.

It was 3-0 on 55 minutes, Galbraith obeying orders from the dug-out to allow Cartman to take a penalty after Armstrong had been felled by Grant Allott.

Cartman’s goal, his first for the club, was his 37th of the season and 30th in the league.

With half an hour to go, the points were as good as in the bag, Quakers cruising home and keeping possession with the visitors looking well beaten.

Manager Martin Gray sent on David Dowson for Armstrong and the substitute soon created the fourth goal, getting to the byline and pulling the ball back for Tom Portas to score his first goal for the club.

Brown added his second at the death, taking his tally for the season to five, by converting at the near post following a corner by Adam Mitchell.

The goal completed a result and performance which was needed, the perfect tonic after last week’s disappointment.

Goals: Galbraith (6, 1-0), Brown (44, 2-0), Cartman pen (55, 3-0), Portas (66, 4-0), Brown (89, 5-0)

Bookings: Patterson (35, foul), Allott (55, foul); Mota (61, foul), Hatch (81, foul)

Referee: Craig Dean (Chester-le-Street)

Attendance: 959

Darlington: Jameson; A Mitchell, White, Brown, Watson (Scott 43); Mota, Portas, Galbraith, Thompson; Armstrong (Dowson 63), Cartman (Hatch 68). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Scarr

Ossett Town: Dixon, Hepworth, Cheeseman, Allott (N Wood 56), Jeff (Pashley 87), Akeroyd (Whiteley 76), Curtis, Patterson, C Wood, Armstrong, Merris. Sub (not used): Backhouse