DARLINGTON manager Martin Gray spoke for most at Heritage Park when he summed up Saturday’s bizarre game by saying: “So much went on I don’t remember things all that clearly.”

The reaction of his counterpart, Gainsborough Trinity’s Dom Roma, was similar: “I’m a bit perplexed really. There were a lot of crazy refereeing decisions, a lot of crazy decisions from the players as well. It was a bit of a weird game to watch.”

There were seven goals and four penalties, not all of them scored and not all of them correct decisions by referee Paul Newhouse, who took centre stage too often.

“I think you could discuss the penalty decisions all day long,” said Gray, after seeing his team emerge from the debris as 5-2 victors. “There was always something happening.”

The scoreline flattered Quakers, who are now up to second, four points adrift of unbeaten Flyde, despite not being at their best and again failing to keep a clean sheet.

Only once in 15 fixtures have they successfully kept a shutout, Gainsborough’s first goal coming after Gary Brown’s error let in Nathan Jarman to finish clinically on 22 minutes.

It came against the run of play, Darlington having started well, but the goal knocked them out of their stride.

But Darlington fought back and two penalties inside three minutes were crucial, the first when Newhouse harshly penalised Trinity right-back Josh Lacey for handling Josh Gillies’ cross while sliding in.

However, keeper George Willis pulled off a tremendous save to keep out Terry Galbraith’s spot-kick, but the Darlington defender soon made amends thanks to an errant linesman’s flag.

He believed Mark Beck had been impeded, a moment that stunned players and supporters alike.

Player-manager Roma had words with the referee at half-time, and later said: “I didn’t think either of their first two were penalties – I think it’s physically impossible to slide with your arms down by the side of you. I’ve seen on video there’s no shirt pull for their second penalty.”

All-square at the break, it became 2-1 just 50 seconds into the second half to tee up a frantic 45 minutes featuring five goals and two more penalties.

Brown atoned for his first-half error by heading in Galbraith’s cross after a short-corner routine with Stephen Thompson, but less than ten minutes later it was 2-2 after another penalty, this time Gainsborough’s James Reid slamming home.

With ears presumably still ringing from Roma’s inquisition, Newhouse had pointed to the spot when Quakers’ Josh Falkingham turned away from a cross and the ball hit his back, yet it was handball claimed the error-prone ref.

Gray took action, sending on Nathan Cartman and Dave Syers, a new signing who only got clearance to play at 11pm on Friday.

Both made an impact, getting on the scoresheet and helping turn the game in Darlington’s favour with Cartman involved in all three of the goals that came inside the final 16 minutes.

He made it 3-2 by converting at close-range after Beck pulled back Thompson’s accurate delivery from the right.

“It was a great ball by Thompson,” said Gray. “Beck was unselfish and Nathan is very good at being aware of where the ball is going to drop in the box. His 35 minutes on the pitch today were excellent.”

The diminutive striker has the knack of being able to find space, and from the right he played the ball into Syers for the debutant to stride into the area where he was chopped down by Matthew Wilson, Newhouse correct this time.

Galbraith converted, his seventh goal of the season which makes him joint-leading scorer with Liam Hardy.

Cartman’s next trick was to execute an audacious dummy which deceived a defender, allowing Beck to play in Syers to thump home his maiden goal for the club and his first since scoring in Scunthorpe United’s 2-0 win at Plymouth in March 2014.

After starting in non-league he has spent the past six years in the EFL, also playing for Bradford, Doncaster and Rochdale and at 28-years-old he still has a lot to offer, but has dropped out of the pro game to become an accountant.

“He’s got a good background,” said Gray, who was eager to place on record his gratitude to club secretary Dave Watson for finalising Syers’ signing.

“He’s just got himself a full-time job, he’s made a life adjustment that Phil Turnbull also did a year or so ago so he’s got one eye on a career outside the game and one on playing as high as he can part-time.

“Dave Watson did a magnificent job on Friday working until 11pm to get the deal done so that I could get the player on the pitch today. It was all down to Dave.”

Gray’s substitutions worked a treat, the manager having also sent on Kevin Burgess at half-time on his return from injury and he firmed up the Darlington defence.

The manager added: “All three substitutes made a big difference, they all played a massive part. They came on and improved us. You don’t want to be bringing players off the bench not knowing if they can make a difference.”