DARLINGTON’S injury-time heartache was down to the team’s desire to chase a winner, conceded midfielder Phil Turnbull, who took some responsibility for losing to Nuneaton Town at Blackwell Meadows yesterday.

Jordan Nicholson raced away to make it 2-1 in the 94th minute after Nuneaton counterattacked on a Darlington team who had levelled on 90 minutes through Dave Syers.

Syers’ header instigated a surge of Quakers attacks, with defender Kevin Burgess going up field in search of a winner.

But Nuneaton cleared, Turnbull was outjumped by Joe Ironside and Nicholson did the rest.

“I’ve got to take a bit of blame because I sent Kev up,” admitted Turnbull. “It’s probably a bad habit because since I came here I’ve become used to nicking winners in the last few minutes, the crowd got behind us when we scored and I presumed we’d go on to win.

“They stung us on the counterattack, which is not like us. It’s normally the other way around, we usually nick a winner.

“The lads are spewing in the changing rooms and we’ve got to bounce back next week.”

Darlington are back at Blackwell next weekend, against Gloucester City, looking for only a second win in 11 games.

Yesterday’s game remained scoreless until 13 minutes into the second half when Gary Brown brought down Reece Styche inside the penalty area, Ironsie scoring from the spot.

Turnbull added: “I thought we were probably the better side. It was a rash decision by Browny, he would hold his hands up and admit that, but it gave them something to hold on to.

“They got that goal and then it was backs to the wall for them. We got an equaliser, but then we’ve been done with a counterattack.”

Having seen his players throw away a point when going in search of all three, Martin Gray, the Darlington manager, tore into the team at full-time.

Turnbull added: “He’s a passionate bloke. Losing hurts him, he’s a proud man.

“He came in after the game and he opened up and we fully deserved it to be fair. When you get back into the game and you like you’re going to get a point you close the game out.

“We’ve been a bit naïve there. The fans picked us up and in the past it’s worked but today we’ve been punished.”