After months of preparation, expectation and excitement, as birthday treats go Saturday's draw at Rushden was something of an anti-climax.

Like a disappointing party that's gone flat, the game gradually fizzled out without much entertainment and although the music kept playing well after everyone had left, thanks to a cacophonous local brass band, the main event was over long before the final whistle.

But an away point on the opening day of the season thanks to a second half Clyde Wijnhard penalty, and a promising first half which provides a platform to build on, was a welcome present for birthday boy David Hodgson.

He was upbeat after the game, acknowledging that not a great deal should be ascertained from matches in the opening weeks of the season when teams are still bedding in, finding a rhythm.

But even though Saturday was the first game of 46 there were signs, in the opening period at least, that Quakers could become a League Two force and that is a lot more than could be said 12 months ago when a weaker Darlington team began the season with a win over Grimsby.

Quakers never capitalised on that good start thanks mainly to a lack of strikers but this time around Simon Johnson and Wijnhard can be expected to cause opposing defences a little more to deal with than Matt Clarke and Craig Russell did last season.

"It is a starting point," said a satisfied Hodgson who blew out 45 candles on his birthday cake after returning home from Nene Park.

"I was always taught that it is six games before you can say you are technically match fit and then you can start to make judgements.

"In the first half we knocked the ball around very well and created openings.

"It takes five or six games to level out. I was quite pleased with Saturday but I am sure they will be another step up on Tuesday against Stockport.

"I said to them that there were occasions where they missed the opportunity to execute a drill from the training ground but that will come in time.

"We will better as a unit, we will get quicker, we will become more precise in our attacking and once that happens we will win more than we lose."

Being alert at the beginning of the second half may be something to work on because immediately after the break Darlington allowed Rushden back into a contest in which they were barely participating during the opening 45 minutes.

Quakers played some fluid football, passing through midfield and peppering Rushden with goal attempts, most notably Jonjo Dickman blasting just over before Carlos Logan, one of three new signing in the starting line-up alongside Shelton Martis and Johnson, was denied a spectacular debut goal from a free kick.

The 19-year-old did not enjoy a great debut but in the 14th minute his 20-yard free kick curled around the Rushden wall and seemed destined for the top corner until keeper Jamie Young scrambled across his line to push the ball onto the woodwork with a stunning save.

Quakers continued to be the better side, cutting through the Diamonds midfield with the kind of quick passing that Hodgson is trying to implement into his side.

Shortly after Logan's shot Johnson appeared through on goal following a Wijnhard flick but he appeared to dwell on the ball and the chance was lost though in mitigation Hodgson later said the ball held up in the uncut grass which did appear too long for a Football League surface.

It was for this reason that Hodgson said Neil Waiwright, always keen to run with the ball, did not play and his right-midfield replacement, Adrian Webster, won a free-kick on the edge of Rushden's area but Wijnhard blasted the ball high and wide.

Despite Darlington's best efforts the half ended goalless though Rushden's Peter Hawkins almost rolled the ball past his own keeper with the last kick of the opening 45 minutes when he intercepted another slick Quakers passing move.

Immediately after the restart Darlington allowed Rushden to attack with skilful midfielder David Bell a real threat. With the home side on top his runs posed a problem but shortly after Bell wasted a free-kick Quakers scored their first of the season thanks to a 55th minute penalty.

The assistant referee spotted Neil McCafferty needlessly handling a Wijnhard cross and from the resultant spot kick the Dutchman netted his third penalty past the Diamonds in two seasons.

From here Darlington should have taken control but instead allowed Rushden to attack and it was not long before Bell cut-in from the right, dribbled almost unchallenged for 20 yards before firing past Sam Russell from the edge of the box - it was a slack goal to concede and questions will be asked of Darlington's left-sided players.

Aside from another Bell effort, whizzing a fierce 25-yard drive just over Russell's crossbar, scoring opportunities for both sides were then few and although Quakers enjoyed more of the possession the game became scrappy and less competitive, players appearing to still be in pre-season friendly mode.

Darlington's best chance fell Clarke late on when he was presented with a great chance however, his close-range header went wide but on the second half display three points may have been too big a gift to ask for, even if it was Hodgson's birthday.

After the game, while the noisy brass band provided unwelcome background music, Hodgson admitted: "I would have liked the first half performance to carry on into the second half but it levelled out a bit.

"I was hugely disappointed at the manner in which they scored. After we scored I thought let's step up a gear, keep the ball and win the game in style but within a few minutes it was 1-1 - a carbon copy of a goal we conceded to Bradford in pre-season.

"Their lad cut-in from the right, carried on running until he was allowed to wallop it into the bottom corner.

"Why someone didn't just belt him and bring him down I don't know. Take a booking if you need to, just don't let someone run to that point in the field.

"I think there was only four players in the starting line-up from a year ago so that shows you how much we have changed but we are going to get better there is no question about that.

"Overall it was quite pleasing. We know what we have to work on."

Result: Rushden and Dianonds 1 Darlington 1.

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