BLYTH SPARTANS won 8-1 at the weekend and Darlington should have beaten the Northumberland club by a similar scoreline last night after spurning numerous scoring opportunities in a draw at Blackwell Meadows.

Chance after chance went begging, Quakers squandering more opportunities than they are likely to create in any other match this season.

It was a 1-1 drubbing, Reece Styche scoring his fifth goal of the season, despite the contest being one-way traffic for the most part.

A combination of Blyth’s desperate defending, Quakers having goals ruled out by the officials and also hitting the woodwork twice meant it, somehow, ended all-square.

The result may have been frustrating, but the performance entertained and encouraged supporters, while manager Tommy Wright said his team had done enough to win five games, let alone one.

He said: “I thought the game would have more goals than it did, but that was down to us not finishing the numerous chances that we created tonight.

“We had two or three goals disallowed, we hit the bar, we hit the post and I’ve lost track of how many other opportunities we carved open.

“I’m really disappointed that we didn’t secure the points because we did more than enough to win five games, not just one.

“People talked about what they did to Chester at the weekend, winning 8-1, we did the same here but the difference they escaped with a 1-1 draw and it’s as simple as that.

“There’s no point having all of this attacking talent and then sitting back to defend – when people like Luke Trotman on his game, the understanding between him and Stephen Thompson is a delight.

“Joe Wheatley and Tom Elliott’s understanding is unbelievable and our strikers combined again, so there is plenty of positives.”

Blyth took the lead after just five minutes, exploiting the same sort of slack defending that Darlington benefitted from on Saturday.

Whereas two of Quakers’ four goals against Brackley came after punts down the middle, they allowed Spartans to score a similar goal to open the scoring, Dan Maguire making the most of a route-one pass from defence through the middle of the pitch.

A clinical finisher such as Maguire was always likely to make the most of the opportunity, getting away from Dom Collins and beating Jonny Maddison with the outside of his boot in off the post.

The goal caught Quakers cold and it took them a short while to get into the contest, and a Maddison save stopped a Jarrett Rivers header from making it 2-0 after the winger got goal-side of the defence.

Having won so handsomely on Saturday, 4-2 at Brackley, Wright stuck with the same starting XI so Ben O’Hanlon was on the bench with Terry Galbraith staying at left-back.

A pinpoint Galbraith diagonal ball led to one of the first half’s talking points, Stephen Thompson playing it perfectly first time into Styche, who stumbled and there were strong appeals for a penalty, but referee Adam Williamson played on.

Darlington gradually took a grip, creating more and more scoring opportunities, pinning Spartans in their own half, but they had to wait for an equaliser.

Thompson was inches away from scoring it with what would have been a spectacular goal, hitting the bar from 45 yards.

He did not loft the ball skywards, it was a drilled strike that was arrowing towards goal as ex-Quakers goalkeeper Peter Jameson scrambled back towards his line, the ball drifting over his outstretched hand and clipping the woodwork, with Styche putting the loose ball over.

Darlington thought they had scored when Styche converted at close range after left-winger Alex Henshall had a shot parried by Jameson, but a flag was raised, but the pressure continued to mount.

Jameson used his legs to block when Styche was through, but there was no denying him on 42 minutes for 1-1.

It was a well-worked goal, Collins chipping the ball and Ainge’s deft touch played in strike-partner Styche who converted coolly for his fifth goal of the season.

It was more of the same in the second half, Darlington carrying on from where they left off at the end of the first half while Blyth, without talisman Robbie Dale last night, offered little resistance.

Quakers tore apart Blyth at one stage, driving through the middle, Styche and Thompson exchanging passes before the latter’s first-time shot drifted inches over.

Blyth offered little in the way of defence, youngster Aaron Cunningham no match for Styche and Ainge’s physicality.

Styche, fresh from scoring a hat-trick at Brackley, was inches away from a blockbuster. Turning and blasted at goal from 30 yards, Jameson got nowhere near it but the ball thudded off an upright.

And after a corner Thompson had Jameson had at full stretch with an effort from outside the penalty area.

A moment of confusion followed when Styche appeared to score when diverting a wayward Tom Elliott shot into the net, but referee believed the striker had used a hand.

There was brief respite with around 15 minutes to go, Blyth appearing to have weathered the storm, they had the finishing line in sight.

By then Darlington were back for one last hurrah.

Elliott had a close-range shot cleared off the line by Buddle, man of the match Thompson turned former Quaker Ian Watson inside the penalty area but the clipped the outside of the post and an Ainge header was saved by Jameson.

By the closing stages Blyth resembled a boxer desperate for the bell to save them, but they would not throw in the towel, Buddle summing up their spirit with a well-timed challenge on substitute Dave Syers.

And then Cunningham blocked from the same player as Quakers rained in the punches.

Alun Armstrong’s side clambered off the ropes in the dying seconds and caused a moment of alarm as Adam Wrightson cut in from the right but pulled his shot wide from a good position.

A Blyth winner would have been hugely unfair on Darlington, who left the field disappointed to draw but proud of their performance.