Quakers hit by smash and grab

Robins' striker Damian Reeves may have headed the all important goal three minutes from time, to ensure Quakers lost for the first time in 13 games, but it was goalkeeper Stuart Coburn who was the villain, or hero, for the visitors. The Altrincham shot stopper pulled off save after save to prevent Quakers taking a deserved lead and ultimately a win that should have been theirs.

Mark Cooper's side now only have three matches remaining at home from their final ten fixtures and realistically they need to win at least seven of them if they are to have a chance of making promotion.

Jamie Chandler was the only change from Quakers' 1-1 draw with Kettering at The Northern Echo Arena on Tuesday. The combative midfielder returned in place of John McReady who missed out from the squad that faced strugglers Altrincham.

Cooper's side dominated proceedings from the off and only they know how they lost this contest.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson gave an indication of how the match was going to go when he tried a speculative shot in the 10th minute which was saved by who turned out to be Quakers' nemesis - Coburn.

Four minutes later Dan Burn was unlucky not to score from a second ball following a corner, unfortunately his scrambled effort went wide.

The hosts kept up the momentum and moments later Bridge-Wilkinson tested out the visitors' keeper with a free-kick from 20 yards. And in the 20th minute Burn went even closer when stinging Coburn's fingers.

The best the Robins could offer was an effort from Michael Twiss on the half hour. His shot went wide.

The game's best player up to this point was Burn and the youngster was certainly in the thick of things.

One sublime cross from the left deep in the Altrincham half, was met by a towering Liam Hatch header, which was turned onto the bar by Coburn and over for a corner.

But Darlington were almost made to pay for their profligacy when Steve Connors managed to wriggle free of his markers and get into the box. Fortunately Sam Russell was not cold from his inactivity and turned the striker's effort around the post for a corner.

Mark Cooper's side hit back almost immediately and a bustling run from Aaron Brown saw an effort sail just over.

But fullback Paul Arnison will kick himself when he missed the best chance to open the scoring. The former Newcastle defender swapped passes with Hatch but poked wide from the striker's return on the half time whistle.

After the break Quakers were still on the front foot and it was Arman Verma's turn to be frustrated when an effort inside the box was deflected wide for a corner, while Hatch tried his luck from outside the box moments later.

Altrincham made it known they were still in the contest however and a shot from Connors acted as a warning to the home side on the hour.

Hatch then joined the list of frustrated when his mazy run ended with Coburn thwarting Quakers once again, soon after. He was soon joined by substitute Chris Senior as Coburn pulled off yet another superb stop to prevent Darlington taking the lead in the 68th minute.

And the Robins' goalkeeper was on hand to stop Brown's piledriver from the left with little over 20 minutes left.

But despite all of Quakers' pressure the Robins kept plugging away and almost grabbed a lead themselves in the 75th minute when Nicky Clee found Damian Reeves unmarked on the counter. The striker missed the target completely.

Hatch headed agonisingly over with five minutes to go to conclude it just was not going to be Quakers' day.

And that was certainly the case when Clee crossed from the left and Reeves headed past Russell with only three minutes remaining to conclude the biggest smash and grab you are ever likely to witness this season.

Russell; Arnison, Burn, Miller, Brown; Chandler;  G Smith, Verma; Bridge-Wilkinson; Hatch, M Smith,

Subs: St Louis-Hamilton (gk), Quinn, Senior, Terry, Campbell

Altricham: Coburn; Smith, Joseph, Williams, Lawton, Reeves, Twiss, Danylyk, Connors, Young, Piergianni

Subs: Bateson, Clee, Johnson, Baynes, Dootson