Gaskell enjoys a goal glut as Darlington return to form

After days of club statements, admonishments and a resignation, moving back up to second place with a strong performance at Mickleover Sports helped to overcome an uneasy week.

Martin Jesper’s surprise announcement that he is to stand down as chief executive came late on Friday, 24 hours after a strongly-worded club statement on standards of discipline, while on Wednesday manager Martin Gray had his say on Alan White’s conduct.

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• Pictures from Darlington's 5-1 win at Mickleover Sports

The events came on the back of last Saturday’s deeply disappointing performance against Marine, all of which was forgotten on Saturday.

Against the team which won Division One South by nine points last season, an hour is all it took for Darlington to return to form.

They were 5-0 up by the 62nd minute, Nathan Cartman and Stephen Thompson scoring in the first half before Gaskell’s goal glut, and they would have had more had they not chosen to take their foot off the gas with tomorrow’s game at Ashton United in mind.

“It was nice for a change to take our chances instead of getting involved in a narrow win, a 2-1 or a 3-2, and save a bit of energy for the next game,” admitted Gray.

“It was a solid performance, the front players took their chances and that’s why we dominated the game from start to finish.

“In training we’d worked on pressurising and closing down. The front two and the wide two, as well as the midfield two – Phil Turnbull and Leon Scott – pressurised really high up the pitch and caused problems.

“We’d worked an awful lot in training this week on that and we knew their game-plan, we knew they like to play out from the back. So we had to press them and we nullified them really well.

“Having a free week helped and so did having a scouting report on the opposition, so we knew what they were about.”

From the beginning Darlington were on top, their blank midweek clearly having been put to good use as they looked well-drilled, playing passing football and dangerous on the attack.

After a handful of efforts at Ross Atkins’ goal, Scott, Gaskell and Adam Mitchell all trying their luck, Cartman headed home at the near post by meeting Terry Galbraith’s corner.

His sixth goal of the season in the 17th minute was followed 17 minutes later by Thompson’s low blast. After Gaskell’s pass, he side-stepped right-back Jake Bennett to make it 2-0.

Mickleover finished the half with a sniff of goal, goalkeeper Peter Jameson pulling off a good save to keep out John McGrath, but Darlington were well worth their 2-0 half-time lead, and after the restart came Gaskell’s quick-fire treble.

Scott’s quick free-kick saw Cartman play in his strike-partner with his pass to Gaskell rifled into the roof of the net, and the forward’s first goal for the club was soon followed by a sensational second.

Mitchell enjoyed his most effective game in weeks and after nutmegging Dwayne Wiley he delivered a pinpoint cross which the unmarked Gaskell met acrobatically.

He said: “If it hadn’t gone in I would’ve looked stupid because I had a lot of time.

“I could’ve taken a touch, but I feel I’m decent at volleying the ball and it was perfect for an overhead kick. It went straight into the top corner, so I’ll take that.”

Quakers were rampant. After patient build-up play a grounded Graeme Armstrong poked the ball back to Gaskell for his third strike in 11 minutes – the same total he scored in 34 league appearances for Ramsbottom last season.

The game was effectively over, Gray making three substitutions with Ian Watson’s appearance warmly greeted by the travelling fans.

But it was from the left-back’s pass that White got caught in possession, allowing Andy Dales to pull a goal back with a composed finish.

Scott almost added a sixth when he clipped the top of the crossbar as Quakers cantered home.

While Gray was restrained in his appraisal, Mickleover joint-manager Glen Kirkwood was more effusive, saying: “The goals we conceded were really poor, individual mistakes, but their finishing was unbelievable.

“The fourth goal – their winger nutmegged 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. If they needed to go long they’d go long, if they needed to go short it would be two-touch. They were just a different class.”