Whitby Town 3 Darlington 0

GRAEME ARMSTRONG made his much anticipated comeback after injury as an otherwise depleted Darlington side lost their last pre-season match 3-0 at Whitby Town.

Six trialists were in a starting XI that included only three first-teamers from last season, plus new midfielder Adam Nowakowski who started up front.

In the second half Armstrong received a warm reception as he came into the fray and he was alongside Gary Brown, the transfer-listed defender making up the numbers in a forward line bereft of David Dowson or Nathan Cartman.

The duo were among a series of senior players not involved against a strong Whitby team, while manager Martin Gray was absent as he is currently on holiday abroad.

Instead, the match was used primarily to give players such as Ian Watson and Alan White 90 minutes as well as an opportunity for assistant manager Brian Atkinson and chief scout Harry Dunn to run the rule over triallists.

They were: Jack McClaren, Tom McNamee, Lewis Gibbons, Thibault Charmey, Alex Kitchen and Wilson Kneeshaw.

Former Middlesbrough youngster Kneeshaw played having recently spent time on trial with Gateshead, and impressed again today in the flashes, although he is believed to have a trial lined in the Football League.

Fellow trialist McClaren, a goalkeeper, tipped wide a deflected low shot by Liam Shepherd midway through a half in which Whitby had Quakers under pressure without opening the scoring.

Striker Matthew Waters was inches away with a shot across the goalline, but in injury time Lee Mason held off Kneeshaw in a crowded penalty area and fired into the roof of the net.

Brown was sent on soon after the start of the second half, sent on in attack replace Nowakowski who was suffering from slight concussion.

Goalkeeping coach Jim Provett, the former Hartlepool custodian, had come on at the break for McClaren but he had little to keep him occupied in an uneventful start to the second period which eventually sprang into life, although in the wrong circumstances for Quakers’ Leon Scott.

Referee Michael Gillespie asked him to be substituted after a second late tackle, the first one having merited a yellow card. He was replaced by Tom White, another trialist.

The lively Kneeshaw fired wide after good build-up play involving right-back Bradley Staunch, who came off the bench, before Whitby keeper Shane Bland saved a header at close-range from Charmey after Gibbons’ cormer.

Stanuch replaced McNamee, who was soon back on the field when Kitchen had to be replaced after sustaining a cut beneath his eye which may require stitches. He was due to go to hospital after the game.

It was 2-0 with 20 minutes to go. Waters dispossessed Whie after Provett’s poor kick, the forward firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Armstrong replaced Charmey and soon almost scored from long-range, his effort being saved well by Bland before Brown had a ‘goal’ ruled out for offside.

Brown remains with the club as Quakers are yet to receive an offer that deem satisfactory.

Provett pulled off a smart reaction save to prevent Staunch scoring an own goal when the sub cut out a pass inside the penalty area, but the goalkeeper was nutmegged in the dying minutes by Michael Roberts who slotted home coolly after taking advantage of static defending to run through and complete a deserved victory.

Darlington’s next match is against Bishop Auckland at Heritage Park on Tuesday.

Whitby: Bland, Martin (Weledji 64), Hassain, Pell, Shepherd, Mason, Gell, Keogh, Waters, Blackburn, Gardner (Raby 70). Subs: Bullock, Roberts, Robinson

Darlington: McClaren (Provett 46), Kitchen (McNamee 62), McNamee (Staunch 55), White, Weldon, Charmey, Gibbons, Scott (T White 52), Watson, Kneeshaw, Nowakowski (Brown 49). Sub (not used): Galbraith

Attendance: 337

Referee: Michael Gillespie