DARLINGTON climbed out of National League North's relegation zone for the first time in several months with a 2-1 away win at Blyth Spartans.

Quakers took an early lead through Cornish, but then they had to defend well against some strong Blyth pressure before Cameron Salkeld added the second.

Blyth caused some late anxiety when they pulled a goal back, and it needed a clearance off the line in the last minute to secure all three points.

The win puts Quakers two points above Rushall and the relegation zone, and level on points with Blyth and King’s Lynn.

Blyth had an early chance when Liddle fired over the bar from the edge of the area, but after Cedric Main almost opened up the Blyth defence on the edge of the box but saw his pass intercepted, Quakers took the lead on 10 minutes.

A Darlington attack down the left hand side saw Will Hatfield set up Matty Cornish, who struck a right foot shot from 25 yards that flew into the top left corner of the net for his fourth goal in as many games and give Quakers a valuable lead.

But Quakers couldn’t press home their advantage, and Blyth came more into the game.

Darlington keeper Mattie Young once again showed his quality when he tipped a header by Will McGowan over the bar, while Finn Cousin-Dawson, who was returning to the Blyth side after suspension, put a header wide of the post.

Darlington defender Scott Barrow had to receive treatment for a leg injury, but Quakers continued to defend well.

Young made another good save from Malakei Reeve’s header off a Nicky Deverdics free kick, and when he was beaten, Kallum Griffiths was covering behind him to clear Cousin-Dawson’s header off the line.

Blyth were forced into a change five minutes before the break when Jordan Cook, who had a brief spell on loan with Darlington from Sunderland fourteen years ago, went off injured and had to be replaced by new signing Luke Shaw.

Quakers went in search of a second, but Mitch Curry had a shot blocked on the edge of the area.

They started the second half well, and a patient move ended with Tom Platt hitting the left hand post from the edge of the area.

Curry nearly made it 2-0 when his effort went just past the post, and then Quakers got the breathing space they so badly needed on 63 minutes when Griffiths won possession with a good sliding tackle on the edge of the area and found Salkeld, who beat his man and struck a low left foot shot across the keeper into the bottom corner of the net.

It was nearly 3-0 when former Blyth player Jarrett Rivers, who had come on for Curry, had an effort cleared off the line.

However, Blyth didn’t give up, and with a minute left, Zanda Siziba pulled a goal back, and in stoppage time, Platt somehow managed to stop a header by JJ Hooper on the line.