STEPHEN THOMPSON led the way in characteristic fashion as rampant Darlington scored six goals for the first time since they joined the National League North as they thumped bottom club North Ferriby at Blackwell Meadows.

Thompson signed a new two-year deal before the game, and he celebrated with a couple of goals that edges him closer to the club record. He’s now got 83 goals in his Darlington career going back to 2012, and Alan Walsh’s record of 100 is in his sights.

Quakers certainly banished the bad memories of the 1-1 draw at Church Road earlier in the season, when their finishing was poor and they missed a hatful of chances.

On Saturday they faced a raging blizzard in the first half and scored five times, which spoke volumes for the way they cleverly handled the conditions.

Manager Tommy Wright demanded a top-class display, and the players responded with exactly what he wanted, if not more. The victory puts them tenth in the table, surely safe from relegation now, but conversely just two points below the play-offs. However, Quakers would need to win all seven of their remaining matches to have a chance of playing in them as they have played up to seven games more than some of the others.

“We challenged the boys a little bit before the game,” said Wright.

“We told the players that we wanted the perfect performance and to be really clinical, so to get that from the first whistle was superb. The lads blew North Ferriby apart in tough conditions on a tough pitch.

“I was delighted that all four of the forwards scored. The performance meant more to me than it probably has done in other games. I really wanted a good performance and the players gave me one. The game was potentially a banana skin because North Ferriby had picked up recently, but we’re in really good form and it would have been easy to take our foot off the gas and limp over the line for the rest of the season. We’ve put ourselves into a really good position now in the top half of the table.”

Wright believes that Thompson, who is 29 next month, will be a massive part of the club’s future, saying: “He deserved that contract, because he’s been outstanding and a revelation since I came through the door.

“Josh Gillies has had a tough time. He’s got immense talent, but when you’re not scoring goals it affects you. He’s maybe put too much pressure on himself but he got his goals and I’m delighted for him.

“Stychey has got that cheekiness about him to score a goal with a backheel. He leads the line, he’s a constant menace and runs around like a bull. He’s a top-class striker and we’re lucky to have him. He occupies opposing defenders, and that allows other people to chip in with goals.”

The hardy souls who braved the blizzards and the bitterly-cold wind were rewarded for their support, and Wright said; “The groundstaff did fantastically well to get the game on, and for a thousand people to turn up in the conditions was eye-opening, but I really do want more fans to come to the remaining matches and cheer the lads on.

“I love seeing people leave the ground with a smile on their face.”

Quakers took the lead on 16 minutes when Thompson burst down the right, beat his defender and pulled the ball back low for Dave Syers to turn in his eighth goal of the season.

Aynsley Pears pulled off an excellent diving save from Jamie Forrester before Quakers went 2-0 up on 28 minutes when Joe Wheatley was put through by Syers and was brought down by the advancing Durrant, so Thompson made no mistake from the spot.

Ferriby caved in against Quakers’ pressure, with Turnbull and the returning Wheatley running the show in the centre of midfield.

Luke Trotman broke down the right and pulled the ball back into the middle for Styche to control, and with his back to goal, backheeled the ball past his marker and off a defender into the net to give him his tenth goal since joining Quakers.

The fourth came on 41 minutes, when Trotman and Thompson exchanged a pair of neat one-twos to release Thompson into the box and strike a right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

On the half-time whistle Styche charged forward and sent Gillies through, and he slipped the ball under the advancing keeper. It was the first time Quakers had scored five goals in 45 minutes since that memorable night at Whitby two seasons ago.

In the second half, Durrant saved at full stretch from Syers and Wheatley, then Thompson was just off target for his hat-trick.

Gillies found a way past him on 69 minutes with a half-hit shot from a Greg Mills cross, then youngster Mitchell Glover put a good chance over the bar from a Gillies set up.