DARLINGTON ended the season with a rare defeat, losing 1-0 at Rushall Olympic, but it could not take the gloss of the club’s third promotion in four seasons.

The Northern Premier League champions secured the title on Thursday in incredible fashion at Whitby Town, winning 7-1 with five of the goals coming inside the first 20 minutes.

That is the game fans will remember, not today’s tepid affair which had little at stake for either club.

Darlington had little left in the tank in what was their fourth game of the week, so there was never a hint of another goal glut as the season drew to close at Dales Lane.

The bone-hard pitch did not help matters, ensuring players found it predict the bounce of the ball and leading to a dearth of good football or chances.

Neither team saw sight of goal aside from a tame shot by Rushall’s Kris Taylor, the former Darlington midfielder.

Rushall broke the deadlock on 36 minutes after a corner, won when confusion between Peter Jameson and Gary Brown led to the latter chesting a back-pass out of play.

The scorer was centre-back Gavin Caines, heading home, though Jameson perhaps could have done more to deal with the ball headed back across goal by Jack Duggan.

Rushall’s leading scorer Luke Benbow was flagged offside when he had the ball in the net, but Darlington had a bit more life in them at the beginning of the second half.

Leon Scott shot high and wide, Stephen Thompson dribbled into a good position inside the penalty area and had an effort saved by keeper Kieran Preston, and Nathan Cartman was wide with the follow-up.

Terry Galbraith dragged a long-range effort wide and Amar Purewal, on as a sub, blazed over from a good position.

But that was as good as it got for the title winners, the season fizzling out in a manner out of keeping with their terrific season.

Manager Martin Gray was not too downhearted, however, his team having finished on 104 points, a divisional joint-record with Burton Albion who managed it in 2001-02.

He said: “Today was about coming here and getting through it without any injuries or suspensions, I wasn’t interested in the result. The most important thing to do was to win at Whitby and we did that.

“We’ve had a fantastic season, and we did the job on Thursday at Whitby, and the week before and the week before.

“Everything seemed to stack up against us at times dues to postponements, but it’s the proudest I’ve ever been as a manager.

“We’re worthy champions, believe me. These players have been through a lot, everybody wanted to beat them from day one. I’m the proudest manager in this league.”

Goal: Caines (36, 1-0)

Bookings: Scott (41, dissent), Portas (82, foul)

Referee: N Smith

Attendance: 709

Rushall Olympic (4-4-1-1): Preston; Christophorou, Duggan, Caines, Wilkinson; Heath, Taylor, Walters, Reid; Tolley; Benbow (Spencer 80). Subs (not used): Fox, McKenzie, Brown, Yafai

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson; A Mitchell, White, Brown, Weldon (D Mitchell 67); Portas, Scott, Galbraith, Thompson (Purewal 55); Cartman, Armstrong (Gaskell 46). Subs (not used): Provett (gk), Hardy