DARLO DIARY: You could see the panic in opposition team

Given the host’s form at Station Road and our somewhat up and down performances of late, it was almost impossible to guess what was going to happen. As it was, the display was one of those typical Darlo away performances where the Quakers get an early sniff of the blood to be had.

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To their credit, the hosts looked keen to knock the ball around and play the game in the right way. However, like Ramsbottom a couple of weeks ago, they didn’t have the requisite quality to do so. That encouraged Darlo to press high and press hard.

When the team are in the mood, the Darlo pressing game is a joy to behold. You can see the panic setting in throughout the opposition’s team. Sadly, we haven’t seen it enough this season. However, when it does happen, the win is almost guaranteed.

For 65 minutes, it was the best team performance of the season. With the withdrawal of Lee Gaskell following his hat trick, you got the impression that the message had come from Martin Gray to take the foot off the gas and think of Tuesday’s trip to Ashton United.

If, and it is a big if, Darlo could operate at this level or even 80 per cent of the level, we will be there or thereabouts. Finding that level on a consistent basis is the challenge for Martin Gray and his coaching staff from here on in to the end of the season.

In terms of standout performances, there is one obvious candidate but before we get to him, credit must be given to Leon Scott. While our midfield has been excellent in possession this season, at times, it has been a soft underbelly when looking to retrieve the ball. Darlo’s muscle-bound midfielder certainly added a bit of steel in the centre and had an excellent personal performance, with the woodwork denying him a deserved goal.

Meanwhile, the man of the moment was without doubt Gaskell. We saw his teamwork and the quality of his build up play against Marine last week. We saw this again on Saturday but the difference between the two games was chances came his way.

His hat-trick went some way to display his scoring attributes and showed just how sharp he is in front of goal. Indeed, he was so sharp that when substituted, he had to be put into a safety guard to prevent injuring any of his team-mates. His second goal, a scissor-kick volley from an Adam Mitchell cross was a beauty.

When he announced that he wanted 25 goals for Darlo this season, given a quarter of the fixtures were already gone, I thought he was being a bit optimistic. However, having seen his killer touch, maybe, just maybe, he might achieve it.

With confidence flowing throughout the team, we need to make the most of it on our trip to Ashton United. The hosts expected to be challenging for promotion this season but have had a hit and miss start. Perennially knocking around the playoffs, this will be a tough game when factoring in a midweek trip. While a point would be a very reasonable achievement, hopefully, the confidence gained from out trip to Derbyshire will join us in crossing the Pennines and secure another three points.