Ashton United 1 Darlington 2

A DRAMATIC injury-time goal by Graeme Armstrong took Darlington back to the top of the league after fighting back from behind to secure three points at Ashton United and keep their impressive away run going.

They are now unbeaten in seven successive matches on the road and manager Martin Gray will want his promotion hopefuls to replicate that form at Heritage Park.

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On Saturday they are at home to Stourbridge, one of two teams Quakers leapfrogged last night, Blyth being the others, to move into top spot on goal difference.

They trailed at the break after a first period in which a resolute Ashton limited Darlington’s attacking forays.

But Gray’s side improved thereafter, Nathan Cartman levelling, and the game then opened up, leading to Armstrong’s winner.

“It’s a massive three points,” said Gray. “That’s two away wins in four days and sets us up nicely for a home game when, hopefully, we’ll be well supported.

“It was a tough game against a team that have been in the play-offs and they don’t concede many at all. They keep a solid back four, their full-backs don’t push on. We’d had some accurate reports beforehand so we knew what they were about

“Their two front players in the first half were a real handful, their movement was good and they caused lots of problems.”

A booking for Stephen Thompson aside, after taking down Adam Morning, it was a low-key first 30 minutes between two well-matched sides, though the hosts looked more likely to score.

Ashton striker Martin Pilkington was caught offside three times, an indication that he was hoping to exploit the lack of pace in the centre of Darlington’s defence.

Chris Hunter served the second game of his suspension, and Alan White played his final match before serving a ban.

It was Pilkington who was causing Quakers most problems and he had the first real chance, putting the ball over under pressure from the onrushing Peter Jameson.

But he made the breakthrough on 35 minutes, though the defending was disappointing. The Ashton No. 9 beat Quakers’ offside trap, taking down a simple ball over the top of Darlington’s defence before successfully rounding Jameson.

“It was important not to concede again before half-time, you’re hoping that we’ve learned from experience,” added Gray. “You don’t have to win the game in the first half, sometimes you’ve got to chip away for 91 minutes or however long it takes.

“We developed as the game went on, but they were better team in the first half, no question. We had a game-plan and the players stuck to what we asked them to do at half-time.”

Darlington emerged from the tunnel well before Ashton, eager to get going, and it was Quakers who were quicker to make an impact, equalising nine minutes in.

Thompson’s weighted cross from the left with his right foot was nodded in at the far post by Cartman for his seventh goal of the season.

It was his second headed goal in four days having also netted in Saturday’s 5-1 win at Mickleover.

Gray said: “The ball into the box by Thompson to Cartman, the smallest man on the pitch, was excellent. Again it was great movement, he seems to find himself space in the box.

“He scored a goal after that which was disallowed. Very marginal. I think Lee Gaskell was offside, but not Nathan.

“We started to apply a bit of pressure, we were getting free-kicks and corners, we were getting more on top as the game went on.”

Darlington were invigorated, looking much livelier in attack. Ashton keeper Paul Phillips saved a 20-yard blast by Thompson, and Gray was celebrating when Cartman had the ball in the net, but it was offside.

Referee Peter Gooch did not have his best night. He also made a startling decision not to award Darlington a corner when very clearly an Ashton defender headed over his own bar.

It was not to matter for Darlington.

In the first minute of injury time after Adam Mitchell’s corner, Kevin Burgess aimed at goal, but Armstrong got the final touch at close-range.

Gray added: “Graeme is always aggressive inside the box and throws himself at things to get the ball over the line. It was typical centre-forward play, endeavour to score.”

While a point would’ve been a decent result against a team which have reached the play-offs in each of the past two seasons, Quakers were thrilled to take all three.

Goals: Pilkington (35, 1-0); Cartman (54, 1-1), Armstrong (90, 1-2)

Bookings: Thompson (24, foul); Haining (44, unsporting behaviour); Jameson (69, foul)

Referee: Peter Gooch 4

Attendance: 290

Entertainment: ***

Ashford United (4-4-2): Phillips 6; Coo 7, Frost 6, Haining 7, Mason 6; Sutherland 6 (Chadwick 80), Gee 6, King 6, Morning 7; PILKINGTON 7 (Banim 86), Johnson 7. Subs (not used): Halford, Samberg

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson 6; Gibbons 7, White 7, Burgess 7, Galbraith 6; Mitchell 7 (Youhill 90), Turnbull 7, Scott 6, Thompson 7 (Callaghan 80); CARTMAN 7, Gaskell 6 (Armstrong, 80). Subs (not used): Provett (gk), Stephenson

Man of the match

NATHAN Cartman – Another goal for the tireless forward