Darlington 1 Hyde United 3

TWO goals from Scott Spencer helped dump Darlington out of the FA Cup as Hyde United secured a surprise 3-1 win in the first qualifying round.

While the clubs are both in the Northern Premier League, a home win was expected due to the club’s contrasting form.

Hyde are currently 19th in the table and Quakers second following four successive wins, yet Gary Lowe’s side deserve to be in the hat on Monday as Darlington put in a laboured performance nothing like their recent league displays.

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They were flat and never recovered from going a goal down on four minutes when Ayrton Bevins scored, exposing a gap in the centre of Darlington’s defence by latching onto Reece Gray’s pass and rolling the ball past the advancing Peter Jameson.

“We’ve been absolutely diabolically at home, but we’ve won at Salford and now we’ve won at Darlington,” said Lowe.

“In the first half we could’ve been well clear, we could’ve declared if we’d taken our chances. And normally they come back to haunt you.

“Darlington put us under pressure in the second half, we just had to keep it out of the box and keep heading it away.”

Makeshift forward Alan White, one of two Darlington changes today, had a shot cleared off the line after Kevin Burgess had headed the ball back across following a Stephen Thompson corner, before a spell of Quakers possession led to the equaliser.

Nathan Cartman’s ball in from the right caused confusion, Alan White challenged for it and Stephen Thompson tapped home at close-range.

But the holes in Darlington’s defence were highlighted during a spell before half-time when Hyde had a handful of chances.

Jameson had to push over Andy Pearson’s firmly-struck effort from inside the penalty area, Spencer was wide with a 20-yard left-footed shot after a nice touch to control Ben Jago’s pass, and then Shane Killock climbed above Burgess at a corner, but headed powerfully over the bar.

With the score 1-1, Darlington manager Martin Gray made two substitutions hoping to turn the game in Quakers’ favour, but it was the visitors soon 2-1 ahead after scoring a simply goal woefully defended.

A throw on the right led to Gray whipping a cross into the six-yard box where Bevins took a touch and Spencer had time to lash home.

Gray immediately made another change, withdrawing the ineffective Ryan Brobbel with Anthony Bell sent on, though it took a while before Quakers began to put Hyde under pressure.

Thompson required lengthy treatment after a strong challenge in Hyde’s 18-yard box, one that Darlington felt was worthy of a penalty, but the reaction to going a going a goal down was delayed and limited.

Not until the final stages did Gray’s team, which changed to 3-4-3, begin to get into the opposition penalty area.

From a corner Burgess headed against the bar, while a cross by substitute David Dowson just evaded Graeme Armstrong and that was as close as Quakers got to forcing a replay because in injury time Spencer made it 3-1.

Burgess had fouled the striker, and he stepped up to score from the spot.

The result represents a big opportunity for revenue and exposure wasted. In good form and drawn at home to a struggling team, Darlington let themselves down.

After the match Gray left Heritage Park without speaking to the media.

Quakers’ next match is next Saturday when Hyde again visit the North-East for a league game.

Goals: Bevins (4, 0-1); Thompson (26, 1-1); Spencer (59, 1-2), Spencer (90, 1-3)

Bookings: White (40, unsporting behaviour); Harris (54, foul), Bevins (69, foul)

Referee: Christopher Knightley (Middlesbrough)

Attendance: 902

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson; Mitchell, Burgess, Hunter, Watson; Thompson, Turnbull, Portas, Brobbell (Bell 60), White (Armstrong 56), Cartman (Dowson 56). Subs (not used): Provett (gk), Youhill, Scott

Hyde United (4-1-2-1-2): Ollenrenshaw; Burke, Killock, Jones, Neville; Pearson; Jago (Fitton 88), Harris; Gray (Ellison 90); Spencer, Bevins (Boyle 78). Subs (not used): Broadbent, Harrison