Darlington continued their pre-season build-up with a hard-earned win against an inexperienced Newcastle side in front of over 3,000 fans at a rain-soaked Feethams last night.

It was Darlington's fourth win in five games this summer and they were made to work for the victory by a very young Newcastle team featuring just one player with first-team experience.

Quakers' new signing Ryan Valentine started the game at left-back, while other new arrivals, Ashley Nicholls and Matt Clarke, made their Feethams bows at the break.

Adam Rundle had the game's best chances early on as he first of all sliced a left-footed effort wide of goal and minutes later knocked the ball into touch after being played through by Barry Conlon as Quakers began the game the better side.

United, who fielded a team full of academy players except for £750,000 Dutch keeper John Karelse, hit back through Neale McDermott, son of Terry, but he fired over after a neat Richard Offiong pass.

Neil Wainwright wasted a glorious opportunity to give Quakers the lead from 16 yards when he lashed wide with five Newcastle players closing him down. But from around the same position shortly afterwards the former Sunderland winger made no mistake.

He neatly finished off an excellent two-touch passing move which started at the back with Valentine and involved Mark Ford before Adam Rundle dribbled into the area and the ball reached Wainwright, who blasted past Karelse.

After making seven half-time substitutions Quakers lost their fluency and allowed the visitors into the game, although Darlington did make Newcastle work for their chances, two Joseph Kendrick thunderbolts from 35 yards testing Andy Collett.

With the rain lashing down the unfortunate 150 hundred Newcastle fans in the open end were invited to take cover in the west Stand.

The pitch held a lot of water and several players slipped on the wet surface but Alan O'Brien could not blame the turf for his poor decision to shoot when he hit the side-netting with two teammates in better positions demanding the ball.

In front of an excellent crowd for a game against what amounted to a bunch of unknowns, Darlington performed well in the first-half, with Valentine putting in one of the better displays, but in the second period substitutions hit the quality of football, though Quakers will have been pleased with their overall performance.

* Darlington travel to the Isle of Man today for a tournament beginning tomorrow against the host side before facing Rochdale on Tuesday and then either a final or a third-place play-off towards the end of the week.

Darlington: Collett; Betts, Liddle, McGurk, Valentine; Wainwright, Maddison, Ford, Rundle; Conlon, Clark. Subs used: Paul Campbell, Matt Clarke, Adam Reed, David McGurk, Clark Keltie, Mark Convery, Clark Keltie, Ashley Nicholls, Richard Hodgson, Neil Gough, Mark Sheeran, Glenn Naylor.

Newcastle: Karelse, Gate, Carr, Taylor, Dunn; Beaumont, McDermott, Gardner, O'Brien; Offiong, Zola. Subs used: Kendrick, Webster, Moore, Orr.

Attendance: 3,285.

Read more about the Quakers here.