DARLINGTON made it maximum points from the Easter weekend to keep the pressure on leaders Salford City after a tight and tense 2-1 win at play-off hopefuls Scarborough Athletic.

All the goals came inside nine second-half minutes, Nathan Cartman grabbing the winner after Liam Hatch had put Quakers ahead.

With Scarborough trying to make the play-offs, they threw everything at Darlington during almost eight agonising minutes of injury time.

Martin Gray’s hard-working side hung on, however, to keep out Scarborough and make it five wins in a row.

Nine in a row would give them the title, most likely on goal difference, as Salford are matching Quakers stride for stride.

The Class of ’92-owned club are three points ahead and showing no signs of slipping up, which is an unlikely prospect given the standard of opposition in their remaining three games, so Darlington probably need to win their four remaining fixtures.

Cartman was yesterday’s hero with a 74th-minute finish earning victory even though Quakers had not been at their best.

Gray was pleased with his side’s work-rate two days after a 5-2 win over Droylsden.

“Cartman’s finish was outstanding, good technique, keeping it on target under pressure,” said the manager. “He’d been unlucky before that and should have won a penalty in the first half and so should Graeme Armstrong. I spoke to their manager and he said the same.

“We’ve played two games in three days and worked really hard against Droylsden, so it was always going to have an impact.

“It was a massive crowd, Scarborough’s biggest of the season, and they had a right go and made it hard for us, but I thought our character stood us in good stead.”

Cartman had the first chance. Played in by Armstrong, Joe Cracknell saved at striker’s feet and thereafter Quakers saw little of the Scarborough keeper for the rest of the half.

Scarborough played through Darlington’s midfield, which won too few challenges.

Ryan Blott and Alex Metcalfe both dragged shots wide from outside the penalty area and a long-range free-kick by Daniel Clayton was palmed away by Peter Jameson.

Darlington gave too many free-kicks away, though Gary Brown escaped when he created a gaping hole around the midriff of Cameron Murray’s shirt with his right boot.

Darlington had penalty appeals when Daniel Wilkinson cut across Armstrong, one for the ‘seen them given’ category, before referee Neil Guest made his first gaffe.

Cartman was felled in penalty area by Wilkinson and with the referee about to blow his whistle he looked to his linesman and then changed his mind.

Guest had the temerity to book Cartman for diving, and the man in black then frustrated Scarborough when he ruled out Matty Plummer’s ‘goal’ for a push on Jameson.

Darlington’s desire for three points was made clear around the hour mark when Hatch and David Dowson were sent on and Gray switched to 4-3-3, a move that rapidly brought a reward.

The subs combined, Dowson sending Hatch racing away and he finished in off the post, every outfield player joining in the celebrations, but the lead lasted only four minutes.

Ryan Blott headed home after Jameson fumbled Clayton's cross, a poor goal to concede.

Gray said: “It was a simple error and he knows it. It should have been a catch instead of a punch and we got punished for it, but he’s done fantastically for us this season and kept us in so many games.”

But soon Darlington retook the lead, Cartman making it 2-1 with a low shot after Stephen Thompson’s initial effort had been deflected, although the hosts felt Guest had erred as a corner preceding the goal should not have been awarded.

Gray, in a moment of diplomacy, said: “It was a very difficult game for the officials.”

As the clock ticked down, Darlington had to work harder and harder and the team showed real togetherness.

They faced an onslaught in the dying minutes, though Guest did them no favours when he failed to send off Peter Davidson who had already been booked when he lunged at Cartman.

Guest, staggeringly, played almost eight minutes of injury time but after Quakers cleared a last-gasp corner the referee finally blew and Darlington breathed a sigh of relief.

Gray added: “You’re always nervous in those situations. When they hold up seven minutes you think goodness me.

“You’re starting to wonder if it’s going to be one of those days, but we made big headers and stayed firm.

“We’ve got a really tight changing room. You’re not always going to play well win 5-0, sometimes you’ve got to grind results out.

“It’s not as though we didn’t play well, we weren’t as good as I’d have liked us to have been, but it’s about results at this stage of the season and getting across the finishing line.”