A FLUKE goal and a failure to take their chances meant Darlington slipped from the top of the table after being held to a disappointing draw at Skelmersdale United.

They drew 1-1 with a team managed by burger van man Tommy Lawson, who may have given his players a grilling after conceding a last-minute equaliser.

Graeme Armstrong’s header secured Darlington a deserved point having dictated play for much of the evening, despite trailing since just before half-time to lowly opposition, who had lost three in a row prior to last night.

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Skelmersdale relished being in the lead and were determined to defend their advantage given to them by Alan Burton just before the break, though he knew little about it as the ball rebounded into the net off the midfielder, leaving Quakers playing ketchup.

Work commitments kept Martin Gray in the North-East, leaving assistant Brian Atkinson in charge and he admitted: “We’re disappointed to draw after all the possession we had. We had a lot of chances in the first half.

“We didn’t have as many in the second half when it was a bit more scrappy, but there was still a couple for Armstrong.

“It could’ve been worse, at least we got a point, but it’s still disappointing.”

Darlington selected the same XI that won at Ramsbottom on Saturday, when they took the lead early on before going on to boss the game and they would surely have done likewise had Nathan Cartman scored an early chance.

A cracking save by Martin Fearon kept out Cartman as he raced in on goal one-on-one and from the resulting corner Kevin Burgess' header was straight at the keeper, who held the ball easily enough.

The chances were among a handful Quakers forced before the break, and they did not have to wait long before another came their way.

This time Cartman took the ball off Armstrong’s head after Stephen Thompson’s left-wing cross, a delivery made after causing right-back Phil Mooney to almost fall over as he took the ball beyond him.

Thompson was lively, getting on the ball frequently as Darlington dictated play, though the hosts had their moments.

Peter Jameson made a good save to keep out debutant Isaac Kusaloka after the striker had got past Hunter, before Thompson lashed a shot so wide it smashed the window of Skelmersdale programme hut.

The moment proved to Thompson’s last contribution as he was soon replaced by Adam Mitchell due to a groin injury, the first of two key moments as the half ended poorly for Darlington.

Soon after losing one of their most dangerous forward players, Skelmersdale took the lead in fortunate circumstances.

After Jameson made a fine close-range to again deny Kusaloka, Chris Hunter’s clearance rebounded off Burton and bounced into the net.

“It was a fluke,” said Atkinson. “Whether it was a good play by their lad, closing Chris down, I don’t know, or maybe Chris should’ve done better with the clearance.”

Coming against the run of play, the goal was a bitter pill to swallow, and tensions were clearly frayed in the Darlington camp with referee David Fisher bringing together feuding team-mates Burgess and Alan White before restarting play.

The centre-backs had exchanged some industrial language before the goal, and Fisher felt it necessary to calm the pair down, and no doubt Atkinson gave the pair a grilling at half-time.

He later explained: “It goes on in football. It was nothing, it goes on all the time and it was sorted out at half-time.”

Early in the second half Mitchell, playing on the left, fired over a cross which Armstrong scooped over, and the striker also headed over after a delivery by the substitute.

Jameson did well again, not the first the first time, to save with his legs from Danny Mitchley, but it was Darlington who were the aggressors.

However, for all of their positive play their chances were few. Promising attacks would end with a long-range off-target shot or an intercepted cross.

A change to 3-4-3 saw Leon Scott replace the tiring Rob Youhill with White moved up front and Darlington’s pressing continued.

Couple of step-overs 25 yards from goal by Phil Turnbull resulted in a shot high and wide, but in the final minute came the crucial leveller.

Armstrong’s header, his fifth goal of the season, came after a Terry Galbraith corner, though it was not enough to prevent Quakers slipping to third after wins for Blyth and Nantwich.