THERE will be a North-East head-to-head next week when Darlington play Spennymoor Town in the play-off semi-final after falling short in their championship challenge.
Quakers needed to win at Warrington to take their automatic promotion hopes into the final game of the season this weekend.
As on Saturday at Lancaster City, there was no questioning the commitment, but they were left to regret several missed scoring opportunities.
Try as they might they were unable to take three points, a 1-1 draw a fair result though it leaves them four points off champions Salford City.
Play-offs beckoning, they left the pitch despondent, heads bowed, no doubt making ideal footage for the BBC cameras present filming for a documentary charting Salford’s progress.
They have won promotion at the first attempt since the Class of ’92 takeover, Darlington instead involved in the play-offs for the second season in succession having lost in the semis to Ramsbottom United a year ago.
Manager Martin Gray had nothing but praise for his team, saying: “It was always going to be a big ask finishing top once we’d dropped two points on Saturday, but we couldn’t do anymore in the last two games, our performances have been great, we just haven’t put the ball in the net.
“Scoring goals hasn’t been a problem all season, we’ve scored more and conceded less than any other team, so I can’t knock the players.
“If we weren’t creating chances I would be concerned, but we created chance after chance after chance.
“We’ve got a job to do now in the play-offs, that’s our focus.”
Last season Curzon Ashton had first place wrapped up weeks in advance of the final game, but Quakers went into their penultimate league match still with a small chance of overhauling Salford and their performance tonight demonstrated that they had not given up hope.
They made a bright opening with Graeme Armstrong testing Warrington keeper Adam Reid, who brilliantly tipped away the striker’s overhead kick.
Quakers’ leading scorer also headed wide when meeting Adam Mitchell’s inswinging corner, one of a handful the visitors earned early on.
Darlington had found space in the Warrington half, but the home team eventually found a footing and not long after Gary Brown made a goal-line clearance to block Chris Gahgan’s effort the Wire took the lead.
It came from the penalty spot, Scott Metcalfe smashing home. The midfielder was one of several rested at the weekend with tonight in mind.
But Quakers were unhappy with the spot-kick as Alan White appeared unable to do much about his handball, the ball hitting him after James McCarten’s header at a corner.
“It was never a penalty,” said Gray. “The ball hit Whitey at close-range. It was ball to hand, there was nothing he could do about it.
“It was a soft decision and it went against us.”
Warrington were then on top without testing Jameson until the half-hour mark, which Quakers fans marked with a minute’s applause in ironic recognition of Warrington manager Shaun Reid abandoning the teams’ match on the first day of the season when the referee was injured.
Darlington took control again. Armstrong headed over after meeting a Galbraith corner, before Darlington got the goal they deserved when Brown headed home.
The leveller came after Galbraith had the swung the ball to the far post after his initial corner had been cleared.
After a low-key start to a second half in which Darlington had to score, the subdued Stephen Thompson was replaced by Nathan Cartman, the January signing who on Sunday won player of the year at the Evo-Stik League awards ceremony.
He did not come close to finding the net tonight, but White was inches away when hitting the inside of the post with a flicked header after meeting a Galbraith free-kick.
The chance was the first of many as Darlington pressed. A terrific long-range blast by Tom Portas was kept out by Reid before Armstrong headed wide again.
French winger Nelson Mota came on and showed some nice touches without really making an impact, while Warrington had their moments as they looked for a winner.
Brown made a second goal-line clearance while a free-kick by Nathan Burke hit the outside of the post.
Desperate Darlington threw men forward, but they could not seriously test Reid.
After he collected White’s header in the sixth minute of injury time the final whistle blew, leaving Darlington deflated while a small contingent of Salford supporters celebrated.
Although hurting, Gray phoned Salford joint-manager Anthony Johnson and joint-owner Gary Neville to offer his congratulations.
Quakers will hope to meet Salford next season, but first they’ve got to overcome Spennymoor.
The game will be at Heritage Park and a date is yet to be confirmed, though it is expected to be on Wednesday, April 29.
Goals: Metcalfe (18, 1-0); Brown (39, 1-1)
Bookings: White (17, handball); Wharton (23, foul); Mitchell (25, foul) Burke (56, dissent), Metcalfe (68, foul), Hardwick (90, time wasting)
Referee: D Underwood
Attendance: 398
Entertainment: *****
Warrington Town (4-4-2): REID 7, Turner 6, Robinson 7, McCarten 7, Hardwick 6; Beattie 6, Tames 6 (Bannister 81), Burke 7, Wharton 7, Gahgan 6 (Corrigan 68, 6), Metcalfe 6. Subs (not used): Hickey, Bibby, Collins
Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson 6; A Mitchell 7, White 7, Brown 7, Watson 7 (Mota 71); Thompson 5 (Cartman 57, 6), Scott 6, PORTAS 7, Galbraith 6; Dowson 6, Armstrong 6. Subs (not used): Bell(gk), Hunter, Weldon
MAN OF THE MATCH: TOM Portas – Darlington’s driving force
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel