Darlington defeat Billingham Synthonia 5-0 in friendly

DARLINGTON strolled to a comfortable victory in their latest pre-season friendly this evening at Billingham Synthonia.

A full-strength side won 5-0 against the Northern League team, Quakers’ third win in as many matches, though the result matters little on these occasions.

Manager Martin Gray is more concerned about levels of fitness, as well as performance and, as the scoreline illustrates, his team were on top throughout at Central Avenue.

Gary Brown gave Darlington an early lead on his return to the team having required 15 stiches after suffering a facial injury in the first pre-season fixture.

He headed home a cross by winger Adam Mitchell, a player perhaps more befitting the eye-catching luminous yellow boots that the old-school defender was sporting.

Right-back Liam Marrs, another to have been to Sports Direct this summer, was Quakers’ only new signing in the starting XI, he saw a shot go wide during a one-sided start to a game during which time Synners saw little of the ball.

During a rare break Max Craggs got away from Darlington’s defence but fired wide with an effort from a narrow angle.

Amar Purewal, up front with Nathan Cartman, was denied by goalkeeper Guy Craggs, Max’s brother, after quick build-up play involving Phil Turnbull and Stephen Thompson, and the Synners keeper was called into action again before the break.

He pushed away a quickly taken Scott free-kick, before Kevin Burgess beat the keeper with a header his effort rebounded off the crossbar.

Darlington made seven changes as the break – plus, left-back Jordan Watson replaced Terry Galbraith after half an hour – with trialist right-back Harrison Scott among those given a run-out.

It was Brown, however, one of the three who remained on from the beginning, who made a vital goal-line clearance.

He was on hand to clear when Max Craggs headed for goal after a Sam Garvie delivery.

A long-range strike from new boy Lewis Nightingale made it 2-0. Though not the most ferocious of shots, it bounced on the six-yard line and deceived the keeper.

Former youth team defender Matty Lovegreen replaced Brown, leaving Mitchell and Burgess to complete the 90 minutes, and there were briefly a few hairy moments in Darlington’s defence behind which Jack McLaren was between the sticks.

Quakers could not clear the ball, leading to Max Craggs putting the ball in the net, but he was offside.

Guy Craggs made another save, this time denying Liam Hardy when he was one-on-one, but there were more goals in the game yet for dominant Darlington.

Lee Gaskell made it 3-0 with a neat finish after cutting in from the left, Mitchell intercepted a loose pass in Synners’ defence before rifling home the fourth and Hardy headed the fifth, glancing home a Nightingale cross.

Billingham Synthonia: G Craggs, D Hillerby, O’Sullivan, Keogh, Rowbottom, Crust, Garvie, Osmond, Brunskill, M Craggs, J Hillerby

Darlington: Jameson (McLaren 46), Marrs (H Scott 46), Burgess, Brown (Lovegreen 60), Galbraith (Watson 34), Mitchell, L Scott (Nowakowski 46), Turnbull (Portas 46), Thompson (Nightingale 46), Purewal (Gaskell 46), Cartman (Hardy 46). Sub (not used): Bell