DARLINGTON gained their first win of the season in style thanks to a magnificent hat-trick by skipper Reece Styche, yet his treble cost him £50.

On Saturday morning on social media Styche said he’d match a supporter’s pledge to the club’s Sponsor a Goal scheme if he scored a hat-trick at Brackley Town.

By half-time he was £50 down, the hat-trick having been completed by the 23rd minute, Darlington leading 4-1 at the break with Simon Ainge also chipping in during a remarkable first half.

The game ended 4-2, and Styche said: “It’s a pleasure to pay out, it was good that somebody came up with the idea.”

While Styche was the hat-trick hero, it was an excellent victory by the team bearing in mind Brackley won the FA Trophy and reached the play off final last season.

They only lost three times at home in 2017-18, were renowned for keeping clean sheets at St James’ Park and beat Darlington home and away 3-0 on each occasion.

Manager Tommy Wright admitted: “It was explosive. I challenged the boys before the game, and told them that the team we’d put together was flirting with being a good team – and to be a good team, you have to go out and prove against other good teams you really are what you say.

“They proved it. Alan White and I know what they’re capable of, they needed to put that into practice. We wanted a statement, and we got that. We’re going to get better and better as a group –we looked a constant threat and caused them a lot of problems.

“I want them to look forward to coming to places like Brackley, and unsettle teams, get in their faces and show them up. Man for man, we really did a job on their threats, and Brackley didn’t have an answer to ours. I think that shocked Brackley, because they had one of the tightest defences in the league last season.”

Styche and Ainge have already scored six between them in three league games, and Wright pointed out: “The signing of Simon during the summer to play alongside Reece was a statement to this league, but they really have to click – and they did.

“Stychey scoring his goals off Ainge’s flicks was a massive boost. Your talisman centre forward scoring goals is what every supporter of this football club and every manager in this whole league wants to see.

“Stephen Thompson did unbelievably well on the right hand side, Alex Henshall is getting stronger.

“The midfield two covered every blade of grass, Jonny Burn came in and looked as if he hadn’t been away – him and Dom Collins were superb. The full backs and the keeper also did well – everyone put in their shift.”

Styche scored his first goal on two minutes, picking the ball up 30 yards out and sending a vicious right-footed shot sailing past Danny Lewis, but Brackley’s soon levelled when Shane Byrne curled a corner in from the left, and Jimmy Armson, unmarked, headed past goalkeeper Jonny Maddison.

Quakers posed a danger every time they went forward and stunned Brackley by scoring three times in six clinical minutes.

Styche scored his second 21 minutes, when Ainge flicked a through ball on for him to run through and roll past Lewis.

Two minutes later he was celebrating his hat-trick, this time when Stephen Thompson laid the ball off on the right and he fired across Lewis into the bottom left corner.

It was no time for Ainge to get a goal. He had been a handful for Brackley, and when he controlled Styche’s pass, and sidestepped a challenge he stroked a right foot shot across Lewis.

As expected, Brackley came out of the traps quickly at the start of the second half, and pulled a goal back within two minutes, Lee Ndlovu heading in an Armson cross from six yards.

But any fears of Quakers buckling were shortlived, except for when Matt Lowe picked his way through and forced a full length save out of Maddison.

Styche’s hat-trick took his tally for the season to four having also scored last Tuesday at Spennymoor Town, when Darlington drew 2-2 having started the campaign by losing 2-1 to Curzon Ashton.

“It was vital that we got our first win,” said Styche. “Against Curzon Ashton we didn’t show our true potential and on Tuesday we saw glimpses of it. I think we proved a lot of people wrong with that win, and I was buzzing to get the hat trick.

“You could definitely see what we’re about in that first half. We knocked the ball around well and caused Brackley all sorts of problems. Throughout the game we looked solid in defence, and it’s something to build on going into the Blyth game on Wednesday.”

Quakers’ victory sets up their game nicely as Wednesday’s opponents Blyth Spartans hammered Chester 8-1 on Saturday.

Goals: Styche (2, 0-1), Armson (7, 1-1) Styche (21, 1-2), Styche (23, 1-3), Ainge (26, 1-4), Ndlovu (47, 2-4)

Bookings: Nicholson

Referee: Amy Fearn

Attendance: 570

Entertainment: *****

Brackley (4-4-2): Lewis, Lowe, Franklin, Byrne, Hall (Nti 79), Dean, G Walker (Fairlamb 59), Armson, Ndlovu, Murombedzi (Myles 69), A Walker. Subs (not used): Graham, Smith

Darlington (4-4-2): Maddison, Trotman, Collins, Burn, Galbraith, Henshall (Nicholson 67), Wheatley, Elliott, Thompson (Saunders 85); Styche (Hughes 79), Ainge. Subs (not used): Syers, Vaulks