Darlington confidently secured their second away win inside a week to go joint third in the table with a very good all round performance.

They had to come from behind at Gloucester City though, after full back Terry Galbraith uncharacteristically put the ball into his own net.

But Quakers dug deep again to come from behind – courtesy of some excellent set-pieces – to win 2-1, following up last Monday's 2-1 win at Curzon Ashton, and stretch their unbeaten start to four matches.

“It was our longest trip of the season. We set off at 9 o’clock this morning and so to come all the way down to Cheltenham and pick up three points on our travels is fantastic,” said manager Martin Gray.

“Gloucester are a very good team on their own ground, and it was a basic mistake that gave them the lead. The way we responded was the most important thing, and I think in the first half we were very very strong and unfortunate not to go in more than 2-1 up. Our set-pieces and some of our balls into the box were fantastic, we put the Gloucester defence under a lot of pressure.

“Thommo (Stephen Thompson) put the ball in the right area for Liam to do what he always does well – he comes alive in the box. A forward is as good as his service, and I thought the service from our wide players was generally very good.

“For the second goal, I’d said a few times on the bench that it was about time something dropped for us in the box from our long throws and corners. I thought big Mark was a handful on the ball and off the ball, he got his goal which he thoroughly deserved.

“Gloucester had a lot of possession in the second half so we changed our formation two or three times to keep us in the lead. They had a lot of possession but didn’t really hurt us. Peter Jameson didn’t have to make many saves.

“We were disciplined, we didn’t give many fouls away. It’s a fantastic achievement by the lads, they showed their desire, commitment and determination to come away with three points.”

Neither team wanted to take any risks in the opening exchanges, but it was Gloucester who took the lead after 13 minutes when Tom Webb crossed from the left to the far post, where left back Terry Galbraith, under little pressure, mis-kicked the ball past keeper Peter Jameson with his less favoured right foot into his own goal.

Quakers came back well, and nearly levelled when Kevin Burgess had a shot blocked and the ball ran loose for fellow centre half Gary Brown, whose goalbound effort was blocked on the line by Gloucester keeper Jas Singh and full back Kieran Thomas.

Then in Darlington's next attack, Galbraith put Hardy through, but the keeper blocked his left foot shot at the near post.

Quakers deservedly levelled on 21 minutes. The ball was played across the Cheltenham box by Josh Gillies from another dangerous setpiece to the far right where Stephen Thompson picked the ball up, cut inside on to his left foot, and chipped the ball to the far post where Liam Hardy glanced the ball home.

Beck, who hardly lost a header in the game, then headed on to the top of the crossbar from a Liam Marrs free kick, then Hardy again got on the end of a Beck flick and Singh just managed to spread himself and stop the ball going past him.

Quakers deservedly went in front on 42 minutes. Long throw specialist Brown, who used the fire exit tunnels to good effect for extra run up on the right hand side, threw the ball high into the box where Beck rose above everybody and beat Singh with a delightful looping header that dropped into the net.

Apart from the early goal that they conceded, Quakers didn’t have much defending to do in the first half, but Gloucester pushed them back more after half time.

However, they only created one chance of note, when Joe Hanks put Tom Webb through in the inside left position, but Jameson spread himself well to push his left foot shot around the post.

The game got more physical as Gloucester became more frustrated, and they had three players booked in quick succession, although Darlington sub Leon Scott was perhaps lucky to escape a yellow for committing a foul and getting involved in an angry exchange within 30 seconds of coming on.

Despite Gloucester pushing their full backs forward more and hoisting more high balls into the box, Darlington's defence repelled everything, with the back two of Burgess and Brown, protected superbly by Phil Turnbull, giving nothing away.

Indeed, with the dangerous Gillies always prepared to break away on the left, Quakers nearly got another when he and Beck combined nicely to set up Hardy, whose shot was saved by Singh.

Gloucester ended the game with four up front, but that didn’t rattle Quakers who held on for their third league win of the season.

Goals: Galbraith own goal (13, 1-0); Hardy (21, 1-1), Beck (40, 1-2)

Bookings: Thompson, Marrs, Brown (Darlington); Hopper, Knowles, Deaman (Boston)

Referee: Paul Buck

Attendance 665

Gloucester: Singh, Thomas, Hall, Avery, Deaman, Knowles, Hanks (sub Dinsley 80), Webb, Hopper, Parker (Reid 59), Williams (Kotwica 59). Subs (not used): Chambers, Richards

Darlington: Jameson, Marrs (Hunter 81), Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Gillies, Portas, Beck, Hardy (Cartman 72), Thompson (Scott 63). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Mitchell