Darlington 0
Leeds United 1

HISTORY repeated itself last night as Darlington ran Leeds United close, before losing out to a second-half goal.

Two years ago Quakers battled hard against the same opponents in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, but were beaten by a second-half header.

Last night, Enoch Showunmi’s goal gave Leeds a narrow Carling Cup, first round win at the The Northern Echo Arena, but Darlington gave them a scare and, as a result, raised moral after Saturday’s disappointing start to the season.

Colin Todd’s side were vastly improved on the defeat to Aldershot Town, something that the manager was very pleased with.

“When you consider we were on the back of a bad defeat at Aldershot and had a daunting task against Leeds, I thought we acquitted ourselves very well and responded very well to Saturday,” said Todd.

“Our organisation was very good, especially in the first half. We might have had a penalty when David Dowson went down, but certainly we had a chance when Lee Thorpe had a header.

“You don’t many chances against a team like Leeds so you have to take them when you get one.

“They gave us some respect, they changed their formation because of the way we were playing and I think that says something about the way we played. We didn’t shut up shop, we wanted to be positive.”

It was Leeds who began marginally better during a tame opening with Showunmi, one of five changes to the their side, firing two tame efforts that Quakers keeper David Knight dealt with easily while Darlington’s Dowson almost broke though before stumbling in the visitors’ penalty area.

Striker Dowson, in for Dean Windass, was making his first start, as was Jamie Chandler, as Todd made two changes to the side beaten on Saturday.

The pair, on loan from Sunderland, sparked Quakers into life at the weekend and showed the same drive last night with midfielder Chandler keen to get involved on the right flank.

But it was Leeds’ midfielder, Michael Doyle, who had the evening’s first meaningful shot on target after 28 minutes, a venomous effort from 20 yards that Knight got his hands to, but couldn’t hold.

Fortunately for Darlington they were able to scramble the ball away.

Then came two chances for the Quakers inside as many minutes. Thorpe met a precise Chris Lumsdon free-kick with a glancing header that wasn’t too far away before Chandler had an effort from 12 yards blocked.

The passage of play succeeded in cranking up the atmosphere, something the vociferous 2,016 Leeds fans contributed to greatly.

But the home supporters were generous in their applause at the break as Darlington had more than held their own against the League One promotion favourites.

Leeds came within inches of opening the scoring shortly after the restart – Bradley Johnson whacking an effort against the crossbar.

He had been teed up after good work on the right by Mike Grella who, alongside Showunmi, was a replacement in the frontline for Luciano Becchio and the highlyrated Jermaine Beckford.

That chance proved to be a warning of intent as three minutes later Showunmi scored, stealing in between Steve Foster and Knight to meet a left-wing Robert Snodgrass cross and toe poke beyond the Quakers keeper.

It was his first goal since last December having overcome a blood clot in his lung that kept him out of action until a friendly last month.

Almost immediately Windass was sent on and with his first touch he began an attack that led to Dowson finding the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Leeds ace Johnson then powered a long-range effort narrowly over the bar before Jonathan Howson guided a 20- yard strike that went just the wrong side of the post.

Those two efforts for the visitors came either side of a Windass free-kick that sailed well over the crossbar.

Quakers wasted a great chance for an equaliser in injury time. Gary Smith’s corner was fired to the far post and it was met by Bower, but the left-back guided his header the wrong side of the post and with it went Darlington’s last chance of causing an upset.

Match facts

Goal: Showunmi (54mins, 0-1)
Booking: Chandler (90mins, foul)
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Preston) 5
Attendance: 4,487

DARLINGTON (4-4-2): Knight 6; Arnison 7, Foster 7 (Plummer 76), Miller 7, Bower 6; Chandler 8, Lumdson 7, G Smith 7, J Smith 6 (Windass 58, 6); THORPE 7 (Main 79), Dowson 7. Subs (not used): Liversedge, Riley, Convery, Bennett

LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): Higgs 6; Crowe 6, Huntington 7, Michalik 6, Hughes 7; Snodgrass 6 (Robinson 90), Howson 6, Doyle 5, Johnson 7; SHOWUNMI 7 (Becchio 73), Grella 6 (Kilkenny 83). Subs (not used): Ankergen, Sheehan, White.

MAN OF THE MATCH
LEE Thorpe – Won more than his fair share in the air.