Mickleover Sports 1 Darlington 5

LEE GASKELL blasted a hat-trick inside ten minutes as dominant Darlington recorded a win every bit as one-sided as the 5-1 scoreline suggests.

They could have added to the score as they’d cantered to a 5-0 lead with just over an hour played, but let their foot off the gas with Tuesday’s game at Ashford in mind.

Martin Gray’s side rose second in the table with exactly the sort of performance required, Quakers recovering from last week’s dispiriting defeat to Marine in fine style.

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Gaskell’s bicycle kick was the highlight of the day. That came just after the restart, striker-partner Nathan Cartman having provided the foundations for the away win by getting Darlington off the mark on 17 minutes.

After goalkeeper Ian Atkins had tipped wide an Adam Mitchell shot, Terry Galbraith’s corner was headed home at the near post for Cartman’s sixth goal of the season.

Darlington had been positive from the off, forcing a glut of efforts at Atkins’ goal, Leon Scott, Gaskell and Mitchell all trying their luck before Cartman’s goal and there was no let up.

Photo gallery: Mickleover Sports 1 Darlington 5

Stephen Thompson’s low blast on 34 minutes, after side-stepping right-back Jake Bennett following a Gaskell pass, made it 2-0 from 20 yards.

Mickleover had a couple of sniffs of goal before the break, notably a good save by Peter Jameson keeping out John McGrath who was one-on-one.

Jameson also dealt with a cross-field ball to get a touch on the ball ahead of Bennett during a rare moment of alarm for Darlington who were well worth their 2-0 half-time lead.

Then came Gaskell’s three-goal blast early in the second half to ensure the points.

Scott’s quick free-kick saw Cartman play in his strike-partner whose pass to Gaskell was rifled into the roof of the net, before the same player made it 4-0 in eye-catching style.

He acrobatically fired past a helpless Atkins after meeting right-winger Mitchell’s pin-point cross, and Gaskell wasn’t done there, being in the right place at the right time when a loose ball fell to him.

The hat-trick was the first by a Darlington player since Mitchell bagged a treble en route to promotion against Prescot Cables in March.

A lapse at the back saw Andy Dales pull a goal back with a composed finish, but the game was as good as over then, and Scott almost added a sixth when he clipped the top of the crossbar.

Darlington manager Martin Gray said: “It was nice to take our chances instead of getting involved in a narrow win and save a bit of energy for Tuesday.

“It was great to see Gaskell come in and score his first goals for us. His play in general was great and so was his finishing.

“He showed the same signs last week on his debut, he just didn’t have a chance, but today the build-up play was outstanding and so was he in front of goal.”

Mickleover’s joint-manager Glen Kirkwood had no complaints, saying: “The goals we conceded were really poor, individual mistakes, but their finishing was unbelievable.

“The fourth goal, their winger nut-megged the centre-back, crossed it and he volleyed it in from 12 yards – they were so clinical.

“They were just better than us. They were bigger, stronger, they were more organised. There was nobody glory-hunting, they were all part of a team, did everything simple. They were just a different class.”

Goals: Cartman (17, 0-1), Thompson (34, 0-2), Gaskell (52, 0-3), Gaskell (57, 0-4), Gaskell (62, 0-5); Dales (65, 1-5)

Bookings: Scott (foul, 85)

Referee: E Smart

Attendance: 456

Mickleover Sports (4-3-1-2): Atkins, Bennett, Degirolamo, Wiley, Palmer, , Broadhead (Dawes 86), Spencer (Belgrave 83), McGrath, Dales, Oshoboke (Walton 61), McDonald. Subs (not used): O’Neil-Dwyer, Turner

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson, Gibbons, Burgess, White, Galbraith (Watson 61), Mitchell, Scott, Turnbull, Thompson, Gaskell (Youhill 64), Cartman (Armstrong 59). Subs (not used): Provett, Walton

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