DARLINGTON midfielder Liam Hughes showed his quality with a superb goal at Northallerton in Quakers’ final public pre-season friendly last night.

Hughes, pushed into a more advanced role for the last half hour, hit a sweet 30-yarder that flew over the goalkeeper’s head for the best goal of the night in a 3-1 win, and gave Quakers’ fans a taste of what he’s capable of.

But Quakers now have two defenders on the treatment table after Dom Collins limped off.

Collins, who has looked in good form in pre-season, seemed to turn his ankle just after half time, and quickly left the field to be replaced by Jack Vaulks.

While the injury didn’t look too serious, Collins joins another defender, Jonny Burn, on the injured list heading into the last week of pre-season.

Quakers went a goal behind on just six minutes, when Northallerton striker Jim Wilson caught the Darlington defence flat-footed by turning in a right-wing corner.

The visitors, who have a run-out against a Premier League Legends team at Blackwell Meadows on Sunday (2pm), boosted their confidence by creating several good chances but they couldn’t get the better of Northallerton keeper Tom Dawson, who pulled off good saves from Simon Ainge and Jordan Nicholson.

But skipper Reece Styche got the better of him on 17 minutes, when Nicholson delivered an inch-perfect cross from the left for last season’s top scorer to head home.

Styche’s strike partner Ainge had another header disallowed for offside, but Dawson continued to deny Quakers, saving from Alex Henshall and Joe Wheatley.

However, the next Darlington attack saw Quakers taking the lead, Ainge firing a ball into the net off the inside of the post from about ten yards.

Quakers, who gave a game to a trialist in midfield, then dominated possession and should have scored further goals. Teenage sub Brandon Morrison was unlucky with a first time right foot shot that went just wide, while the pace of Harvey Saunders tore the Northallerton defence apart on three occasions, but he couldn’t quite finish.

But then Hughes scored the third to ensure their second win of pre-season.

Darlington: Maddison, Thompson, O’Hanlon (Banks 70), Hughes, Collins (Vaulks 52), Galbraith, Nicholson (Gardiner 70), Wheatley, (Glover 75) Styche (Saunders 65), Ainge (Morrison 70), Henshall (trialist 46). Sub (not used): Bancroft