New Mills 1 Darlington 5

Back on top of the table, a high-scoring win and a much-needed goal for Nathan Cartman made it a successful night at New Mills for Darlington.

They won 5-1, Graeme Armstrong scoring twice, so reclaimed first position on goal difference, though Salford City are likely to regain it this evening with a win over struggling Prescot Cables.

But it could have been so different, as Darlington trailed 1-0 to the second-bottom side thanks to an awful first half display that resulted in manager Martin Gray tearing into his players at the break.

David Dowson levelled deep into stoppage time, and while that goal did not discourage Gray from giving his players a half-time blast, the game changed the moment New Mills’ Dominic Barrett was foolishly red-carded on the hour.

Quakers were in the ascendancy thereafter and it became a matter of how many with man of the match Stephen Thompson also scoring.

“I was so disappointed in the first half performance, it just wasn’t my team,” said Gray. “We allowed them to score from a soft goal and our play in general wasn’t good enough.

“It was important we got a goal before half-time, but they got the biggest bollocking they’ve had since I’ve been at the football club.

“I shouldn’t have to do that to get a response, but the second half performance was great on what was a poor pitch.”

One of the goalmouths was filled with sand while the pitch featured a substantial slope which Darlington kicked down in the first half.

They edged early proceedings, a goalbound Gary Brown header after a corner being scrambled away, yet the lowly hosts took a 19th minute lead with a move that caught Quakers cold.

It began with Mark Innes spraying a ball out to the right from the centre circle, winger Robert Hiza took the ball to the byline and his delivery was headed in at the far post by unmarked striker James Hampson.

Against the run of play it may have been, but yet again Quakers had fallen behind and the days when Darlington’s defence was their strong point now seem long gone.

It was fifth time in eight fixtures they have conceded the first goal and within a couple of minutes Innes flashes a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Darlington needed to step it up, which is what Thompson was heard bellowing at his team-mates at the sparsely populated Church Lane ground, attendance 264.

 

Quakers looked anxious, giving possession away easily, their desperation clear.

However, Darlington built a head of steam approaching the break. Thompson gave New Mills keeper Liam Higginbotham his first save on 41 minutes with a blast.

Just when it looked like New Mills would hold a half-time advantage, Quakers grabbed a leveller.

A driving run by left-back Ian Watson took the ball deep into opposition territory, he laid it off to Dowson and the striker finished the move off with a smart turn and superb finish, blasting high into the inside the far post.

It was a badly-needed goal, and, after being kicked out of the changing room five minutes early by Gray, Quakers almost had another soon after the break.

After dispossessing James Moss, Thompson ran at goal and fired a low shot that was pushed wide by Higginbotham and then came Barrett’s moment of madness.

Directly in front of the referee the defender kicked a grounded Dowson in the back of the head after fouling the Darlington striker and from the resulting free-kick Armstrong poked home after a Thompson cross.

Now in the lead, Darlington grew stronger against the floundering ten men.

A well-struck volley by substitute Cartman rebounded off the post after a Lovegreen cross, before Armstrong relieved tension by finished in off the post after a Galbraith header for 3-1.

It was when 4-1 when Thompson scored with a low left-foot effort after Galbraith pulled the ball back and Cartman provided the coup de gras.

In truth, he could not miss, sliding home in the sand after a Thompson pass, but it clearly meant to a lot to him and his team-mates, all of Quakers’ outfield players rushing to congratulate him.

Armstrong came close to his hat-trick, smashing a long-range effort against the bar, as Quakers finished at a canter, youth team player Danny Wheeler-Andrews coming off the bench for his debut in the closing stages.