Full-time: Kendal Town 4 Darlington 2

The previous occasion Darlington visited Kendal the game was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch after a farcical 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes on Saturday it was Darlington’s defence that was farcical, contriving to fall 3-0 behind with Jordan Connerton grabbing a hat-trick.

Quakers could’ve done with a downpour and another abandonment.

They rallied, but ultimately slumped to a 4-2 defeat, in doing so losing their grip on the top spot now held by Salford City.

Playing against mid-table opposition that had conceded ten goals combined in their previous two games, nobody had seen this one coming.

“I can’t put my finger why,” admitted shell-shocked Darlington defender Ian Watson, whose first goal for the club made it 3-1 midway through the second half.

“There was nothing different about our preparation, I didn’t think we had underestimated them, been complacent or taken them lightly.

“It shocked us and I was looking round thinking what’s going on here.”

Ditto the travelling fans. The last time they witnessed anything like the first 15 minutes was during Steve Staunton’s tenure five years ago.

The contrast between Darlington’s usually sturdy defence and their torrid opening quarter of an hour was as stark as the difference between New Year’s Day’s monsoon conditions and Saturday’s bright winter sunshine.

The first goal came on two minutes after a Quakers corner. Kendal went on the counter-attack, Peter Jameson parrying a close-range shot after Craig Carney’s cross from the left, but Connerton was on hand to tap home despite Darlington having enough men back.

It was 2-0 when Connerton exposed a flimsy offside trap. He received Aaron Heliwell’s precise pass over the top and rounded Jameson.

In retrospect, Gray’s decision to leave Chris Hunter on the bench was looking suspect, even more so when Gary Brown’s over-hit back-pass to Jameson led to Kendal’s third on 15 minutes, Connerton nipping in to complete his treble.

The team with the best defensive record in the division were being walloped and the sight of a forlorn Brown being hauled off epitomised Darlington’s troubles.

Gray sent on Hunter and withdrew Brown, a humiliating experience the captain.

Presumably the manager felt him to blame for the aberration, though his exact intention remains unknown outside of the changing room as the manager was unavailable for comment after the match.

Having not conceded more than twice in a league match all season, Quakers were into unknown territory. They reacted well, however, and Nathan Cartman and Stephen Thompson both gave keeper Alex Cameron shots to save as they improved markedly.

“Although we were getting beat 3-0 and had an absolute nightmare first half, we still felt we could get back in the game,” added Watson. “We knew we’d been kicking down the bank and Kendal would be tired.

“We thought that if we could get one goal early on we would’ve been able to push and get a second and a third.”

Quakers shifted to three at the back, substitutes Liam Hatch and David Dowson both sent on, but Kendal understandably adopted an every-player-behind-the-ball policy whenever Darlington had possession, which was often.

The hosts denied Darlington space, like a team of Lee Cattermoles hustling and harrying, and it took until midway through the half for Darlington to finally pull one back, left-back Watson the unlikely source with a right-footed effort in off the post from outside the penalty area.

On another day it would’ve been worthier of grander celebration.

Minutes later Darlington should have had another, Cartman mis-kicking in front of goal after Hatch’s cross rebounded off the post.

Cartman is not a scapegoat, but it is not unfair to say it should’ve been 3-2 with 20 minutes to play.

Instead, Quakers had to wait until much later, until there were only five minutes to go, when Alan White headed in a Tom Portas cross following a corner. Game on.

With momentum in their favour, a point was within grasp.

And then it was gone again. Within 60 seconds Byron Andrews curled home a cracking effort from the corner of the penalty area and suddenly it was game over.

Gray gave referee Paul Kettlewell an earful as he left the field, as he had done at half-time too, but the whistleblower, as lenient as he was toward some Kendal challenges, was not to blame for Darlington’s defeat, which leave three points adrift of Salford.

Quakers have three games in hand and 14 fixture to play, starting tomorrow at Farsley.

Watson added: “The killer was their fourth goal after we had pulled two back. I thought it was a blatant foul on Hunter, but then their kid finished it off really well. I think we might’ve got a third if he hadn’t scored that.

“You shouldn’t get carried away when you win so the same goes for when you lose. We need to put today behind us, put it down to a bad day and move on to the next one, which is Tuesday and a big game.”

Match Facts

Goals: Connerton (2, 1-0), Connerton (9, 2-0), Connerton (15, 3-0) Watson (67, 3-1), Galbraith (85, 3-2); Andrews (86, 4-2)

Bookings: Thomas (41, foul)

Referee: Paul Kettlewell 7

Attendance: 584

Kendal Town (4-5-1): Cameron 7; Henry 7, Mercer 6, Forbes 6, Thomas 7; Mason 6 (Clark 74), Helliwell 7, Watson 7, Carney 7; Andrews 7; CONNERTON 8. Subs (not used): Kelleher, Fishwick, Johnstone

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson 4; Cartwright 4 (Hatch 49, 6), White 6, Brown 4 (Hunter 16, 6), WATSON 7; Thompson 6, Portas 5, Galbraith 6, Mota 6; Cartman 5, Armstrong 6 (Dowson 57, 5). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Scott

MAN OF THE MATCH

Jordan Connerton – His goals were the difference