NATHAN CARTMAN did not start a match for the first time this season, yet his predatory instincts were difference as Darlington secured a remarkable win at Salford City yesterday.
His instinctive finish three minutes from time, reacting quickest to convert after Terry Galbraith flicked the ball on, earned Quakers a thrilling 4-3 victory.
Cartman had been a substitute at the beginning of the afternoon, however, manager Martin Gray preferring to partner new signing Liam Hardy with Lee Gaskell, meaning the former Harrogate Railway striker lost his ever-present record.
But Gray is eager extoll the virtues of a squad dynamic, while he praised Cartman for his finish.
“He always comes alive in the box,” said the manager. “The best I’ve seen at this level, he can sense danger, where the ball is going to drop, and scores all of his goals inside the six yard box.
“It was a goal very similar to the play-off final, an important goal that got us across the line.
“We’ve got an abundance of forwards who have all got goals in them.”
Gray also paid tribute to two-goal Gaskell, who overcame a dislocated shoulder sustained early in the match before going on to have a major impact in the crunch encounter.
“His shoulder came out three minutes into the game and he was in tremendous pain,” said Gray.
“He put his shoulder back in and scored two goals, it’s unbelievable.”
The manager was enthusiastic about Darlington’s defending, however, saying that Salford’s first two goals were due to the visitors’ mistakes.
“We didn’t play poorly in the first half, but we gave them two goals which is out of character for us,” said Gray.
“We lost two headers at the back stick, Gary Brown and Terry Galbraith, that’s your bread and butter, two diagonal balls. You expect us to clear our lines there but we didn’t.
“We gave them a two-goal head start, but we have desire and hunger, we never give in. That attitude came through in abundance and we came away as deserved winners.
“We conceded three sloppy goals, which is unlike us, but we showed fantastic character and desire.
“We knew that if we tightened up defensively in the second half we would always create chances.
“What really came through was the squad - it wasn’t just about the 11 players who started, everyone who played had an impact. I’ve always said that, over the season everyone will play their part.”
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