Dismal Quakers hit a new low - again

DARLINGTON'S abysmal season has stumbled from one embarrassment to the next, and last night it reached rock bottom with a comprehensive defeat in an FA Cup replay at Hinckley United.

Defeats to Southport, Barrow and Braintree were hard to take, but being turned over 3-0 by a part-time club, who included a window cleaner, electrician and a plumber among their side, arguably marks a new all-time low for the club.

Without a manager, though in the caretaker charge of Craig Liddle, and languishing in the lower half of the Conference, Quakers are in crisis.

Losing so heavily to a team from the division below, whose attendances are around the 450 mark, must have left chairman Raj Singh, who was at last night's game, wondering why he bothers.

Supporters could have been forgiven for feeling the same way too, though given the club's awful FA Cup replay record - they have now lost seven in a row - perhaps they feared the worst.

Yet Darlington had Hinckley, managed by Dean Thomas, a former Notts County defender turned sales rep, on the backfoot early on and carved through the home defence.

They took an early lead in Saturday's 1-1 draw through Ryan Bowman, and last night he came close to doing likewise as Quakers started brightly.

Played in by John Campbell's neat touch, Bowman's first shot was blocked and he then headed the loose ball at the keeper when he should have allowed Adam Rundle to have a crack.

Rundle was the only change as replacement for Liam Hatch who has suffered an ankle injury. Liddle said he had fallen down the stairs at home and is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Hatch's absence saw Campbell switched to a central position and the next chance came when he used his pace to ease past a defender before firing at the keeper and then blasted the loose ball over.

Quakers' positive start continued with Campbell pulling the ball back for Bowman, but the effort went wide under pressure from a defender.

A piece of skill saw Rundle create space in the Hinckley penalty area and blast a sot that beat keeper Dan Haystead but rebounded off the post, though Bowman may have got the final touch.

Darlington could not have come much closer to a deserved goal, but the Knitters struck first on 33 minutes.

Sam Belcher stunned Quakers with his leveller on Saturday, and last night he was again the source of frustration for Liddle's side when he side-footed home from inside the penalty area.

The ball had been played back to him by Lloyd Kerry at the end of a move up the left, and the goal rocked Darlington who never recovered.

A Tom Byrne header was diverted narrowly wide by Paul Arnison and from the corner a Rob Oddy shot was deflected on to the crossbar by Jamie Chandler.

The start of the second half was a continuation of the first, with only a goal-line Graeme Lee block, from a Jacob Joyce shot, preventing Hinckley from making it 2-0.

The chance came after Greg Taylor had been dispossessed by Belcher, but the centre-back almost atoned with a powerful shot from 40 yards

He unleashed an effort from distance that smacked off the outside of the post, but the Hinckley keeper had little occupy him for most of the second period and Russell had to pick the ball out of his net next.

Andre Gray got the goal from inside the penalty area, firing across Russell and soon after a Kerry cross-shot sailed just wide of the post as Quakers crumbled.

Liddle's last throw of the dice was to send on Exodus Geohagon, but from his first long throw came the game-clinching third goal for Hinckley.

His throw was easily defended, Gray dribbled the length of the pitch, evading tackles from Chandler and Arnison before crossing for Belcher to side-footed home to seal Hinckley's place in the first round proper.

A week on Saturday they will have a home tie with Tamworth while Darlington will be without a game, instead left to contemplate just how far they have fallen in recent years.

This weekend Darlington are at home to AFC Telford by which time Singh hopes to have a new manager in place and, after talks with Colin Cooper collpased, Dave Penney and Ronnie Moore both hope to get the nod.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Goals: Belcher (33, 1-0), Gray (70, 2-0), Belcher (80, 3-0)

Bookings: Lee (42, foul); Lavery (45, foul); Raglan (50, foul)

Referee: Stephen Martin (Stafford) 7

Attendance: 837

Hinckley United (4-4-2): Haystead 6; Oddy 6, Lavery 7, Raglan 7, Dudley 6; Kerry 8, Gooding 7, Belcher 8 (Newton 83), Byrne 7; GRAY 8 (Holt 88), Joyce 6 (Clarke 77). Subs (not used): Hinds (gk), Richards-Everton, Yates

Darlington (4-2-1-3): Russell 5; Arnison 5, G Taylor 4, Lee 4, Brown 4; Chandler 5, K Taylor 4 (J Gray 66, 5); Bridge-Wilkinson 4; Rundle 4 (Geohagon 75), Campbell 4 (Walshaw 55, 4), BOWMAN 6. Subs (not used): Nixon (gk), Sanchez-Munoz, McReady, Hopson

Man of the match

ANDRE Gray - Darlington could not stop the pacey forward