North Ferriby United 1 Darlington 1.

Darlington manager Martin Gray is demanding better finishing from his players after they somehow managed to come away from Church Road with just a point on Saturday.

How Quakers contrived to only draw was very frustrating, as they had enough chances to win several games, but only took one of them. As the Villagers wobbled, Quakers failed to build on an early lead because of a mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping, and early in the second half they gave away a soft equaliser. But even then, the chances in the opposition penalty area from close range were there to be taken.

And it is those faults that Gray is hoping his players eradicate for the big derby game against Spennymoor at Blackwell Meadows this afternoon.

“We had enough easy chances in the first half to put the game to bed and have a comfortable second half,” said Gray.

“It was certainly two points lost. I’ve told the players that if they want to progress and challenge where want to be at the end of the season, then we can’t be missing goals like we did.

“I thought we dominated the first half, and with no disrespect to North Ferriby we should have been four or five goals up by half time. Not half chances, proper goalscoring chances. It was a concern that we weren’t dominant enough, we didn’t make the keeper work more than we did.

“Complacency crept in at the other end. I stressed before the game that Ferriby hadn’t had a great start to the season, but they’d won at Blyth last week and not to be complacent. We had a moment of madness that I’ve seen two or three times now this season, and that has become a concern. We can’t afford to give teams opportunities like that, I don’t see teams doing that against ourselves.”

Quakers, with Tom Portas starting his first game for nearly a year in midfield, really meant business at the start of the game, intending to finish the game as a contest before half time with Monday in mind.

Mark Beck missed a header from six yards off a David Ferguson cross, but that didn’t seem to matter because on 9 minutes Phil Turnbull split the Ferriby defence with a delightful through ball for Josh Gillies to control and then place into the bottom right hand corner for his fourth goal of the season.

Beck was denied on 20 minutes when his powerful header from a Stephen Thompson cross was saved one-handed by Ross Durrant, and then a few minutes later Beck set up James Caton, who pulled his shot wide.

Gillies was unlucky with a curling free kick from the edge of the area that floated just wide, but then Quakers had to substitute Chris Hunter, who went down in some pain following a challenge, and was taken to hospital, where he received lengthy treatment on a leg injury before being allowed home.

Ferriby only had two long range shots at goal in the first half, and they stunned Quakers five minutes into the second half. Ed Wilczynski, who had replaced the unavailable Adam Bartlett in goal, could only clear a backpass as far as Ferriby sub Curtis Bateson, who fired the return ball from just outside the area into the bottom corner.

Durrant then pulled off a double save, first going full length to save from David Ferguson who had cut in from the left and fired at goal with his right foot, and then recovering quickly to block the follow up from Caton.

Durrant made another good one a few minutes later when sub Joe Wheatley, who looked quite impressive when he came on in the centre of midfield, made a good run, played a 1-2 with Beck, but the keeper blocked his shot well at the foot of his post.

Beck’s shot on the turn with five minutes left was turned over the top by a desperate lunge by defender Jake Skelton, and then Durrant, who unsurprisingly was named Ferriby’s man of the match, went full length to keep out Dominic Collins’ header from a corner.

Darlington skipper Phil Turnbull said that the defeat was his most frustrating in his three seasons as a Darlington player, and he says that the players are very keen to put things right against Spennymoor.

“Without doubt that was the most frustrating game I’ve had at Darlington. The goals were embarrassing and we’ve got to be more ruthless and put teams to bed. Without being disrespectful to North Ferriby we’re leagues above them, but the score doesn’t say that in the end. In the dressing room, the lads were fuming and the gaffer was fuming. It’s only right.

“The game should have been put to bed earlier. They say that the keeper has had a good game, but we had enough chances to win three games. We’ve got to be more ruthless. As the keeper pulled off some good saves, we maybe thought it wasn’t going to be our day – but that’s just making up excuses for ourselves.

“We were so comfortable with our play for 90 minutes. We let them score with one chance that we created for them, and we were so disheartened when we walked off, but the good thing is we have Monday to put it right.

“We’ll channel our anger and aggression from Saturday into our performance on Monday, because everyone was fuming after the game. We’ll be smashing the doors down to get out and play. We have to match Spennymoor physically, but mentally we have to play the game, not the occasion.”

There is segregation in place for this afternoon’s game, with Moors fans allocated the west end, but the match is not all ticket. Fans are asked to arrive early at the ground.

Darlington 1 North Ferriby United 1.

Goals: Gillies (9 mins, 0-1), Bateson (50 mins, 1-1).

Darlington (4-4-2): Wilczynski, Hunter (sub Marrs 38) , Collins, Galbraith, Ferguson; Thompson (sub Wheatley 69), Turnbull, Portas, Gillies; Beck, Caton (sub Saunders 76).

Subs not used: Fenwick, Bell.

Booking: Marrs.

North Ferriby (4-4-2): Durrant, Cooke, Dixon, Johnson, Skelton, Picton, Russell, Fry (sub Barrows 15), Francis, Ambalu (sub Hutchinson 76), Pugh (sub Bateson 46).

Subs not used: Gray, Rzonca.

Attendance: 479.

Referee: Thomas Kirk.