WITH the halfway point in the season finally reached, Darlington are looking up in more ways than one.

Having now played 23 of their 46 league fixtures, they find themselves sixth, looking up at their promotion rivals and wondering how many of the teams above them they can catch.

They can expect to rise up the ranks, assisted by up to six games in hand, if they put in more performances as strong as Saturday’s.

In contrast to toiling to a draw in midweek with Whitby Town, Darlington were dominant from the start at Heritage Park against struggling Colwyn Bay, sweeping them aside 3-0.

It was exactly what was needed in reaction to the Whitby draw. A strong display, a clean sheet and the first three-point haul of the year to underpin promotion hopes.

“I thought it was an outstanding performance,” reflected manager Martin Gray.

“Some of the play, the movement, some of the balls into the front players and how they looked after the ball was excellent. How we played in general was really good.

“There’s tougher teams to play against, but that was the toughest team today and we had to get back to winning ways.

“We could not afford to lose, we just could not afford to because that would’ve spread negativity.

“So that was a real big three points. The play was good, we got a clean sheet so we’re really happy.”

Few opponents in the remaining 23 games, however, will be of as sub-standard as Bay.

Among other things they lacked, the second-bottom team were devoid of belief and singularly failed to threaten Quakers, whose defence enjoyed one of their easiest days since the team’s record-breaking Northern League season.

All the goals came from defenders, Terry Galbraith getting the ball rolling with a penalty, and then Kevin Burgess took his tally for the season to five with a brace.

Darlington had to wait until the second half for the goals, however, despite piling on the pressure from the off.

Adam Mitchell and Leon Scott hit the woodwork and Nathan Cartman was denied when keeper Shaun Pearson flung himself to his left.

“We were creating chances and that was the most important thing,” added Gray.

“We hit the woodwork twice and had one cleared off the line in the first half, so we felt that if we kept creating chances with the really positive play we had then a goal was always going to come.”

It might have come earlier had Gateshead referee Graeme Hopper, who had a poor game, not incorrectly waved play on when Bay left-back Mike Lea shoved Lee Gaskell in the penalty area.

He pointed to the spot eight minutes into the second half when Gaskell was tripped by Jordan Fagbold after Cartman’s shot on the turn had rebounded off a post.

Galbraith sent Pearson the wrong way, and within three minutes it was 2-0.

Burgess, who stayed up field after a set-piece, turned in from close-range after being picked out by Cartman’s clinical pass across goal.

Burgess admitted: “With the pitch being so sloppy, I was saying to myself ‘Don’t miss the target, don’t miss the target’, and I managed to get a little tap-in.”

With the points won, the game lost zip for a spell, as Quakers were content to play keep-ball despite the heavy pitch.

Late on Burgess scored again, firmly heading home after meeting a Galbraith cross after a short corner.

The captain also scored in a 4-2 win at Colwyn Bay in August and after Saturday’s double he joked: “That’s a hat-trick as far as I’m concerned, because I scored against them before!”

He added: “Right at the end, when Terry Galbraith chipped one over, I should’ve gone back stick.

“You’ve got to gamble front, middle or back and I gambled middle and got it wrong that time. I fancied a hat-trick and it’s not often I say that!”

Quakers are without a midweek match, but Saturday’s trip to Marine heralds a period that will see them play in each midweek until well into April, and Gray is looking forward to the challenge.

He said: “I can’t wait, we need the games on. We need some Saturday-Tuesdays and everybody else is in the same boat, so we’re really looking forward to it.”

The Northern Echo: