Gateshead 1 Darlington 1
A strong second half performance earned Darlington a 1-1 draw at Gateshead last night.
Darlington manager Martin Gray against included two triallists in his starting line-up, Jordan Richards and Scott Fenwick
Richards, who turned out for Spennymoor and Quakers last week, was released by Hartlepool United at the end of last season, while Fenwick also impressed for Quakers against a young Newcastle side nine days ago.
Gateshead nearly scored in the fourth minute when Jon Mellish hit a swerving left foot shot that struck the top of the bar.
The Heed took the lead on nine minutes when Jordan Preston cut in from the left, and beat Adam Bartlett with a low shot.
Quakers slowly got into the game, and had their first chance on 29 minutes when Nathan Cartman sent former Gateshead player Josh Gillies away, but his angled shot was pushed away by keeper James Montgomery.
Gateshead nearly scored a second, this time Jordan Burrow hitting a post from the edge of the box.
At half time, midfielder Joe Wheatley, defender Terry Galbraith and midfielder Stephen Thompson replaced Richards, Brown and Scott.
Quakers nearly gained a fortuitous equaliser on 52 minutes. Gateshead defender Neill Byrne headed Chris Hunter’s cross straight at Thompson eight yards out, but the ball bounced off the attacker and trickled wide.
Thompson was then unlucky to see a header from a Hunter cross go wide, and Galbraith had a header blocked on the line by Montgomery.
Quakers’ improvement was rewarded when Liam Marrs, with his first touch of the ball after coming on for Chris Hunter, crossed for David Syers to head past Montgomery from six yards out.
Quakers nearly went in front when Galbraith moved forward from the back, beat two defenders and tried to sidefoot into the bottom corner, but Montgomery pushed the ball around the post.
And with four minutes left Wheatley showed good close control in a crowded penalty area and fired in a left foot shot that struck the bar.
Darlington: Bartlett, Hunter (Marrs 70), Ferguson, Richards (Wheatley 45), Collins, Brown (Galbraith 45), Syers, Scott (Thompson 45), Cartman (Saunders 65), Fenwick, Gillies. Subs (not used): Wearmouth, Portas, Beck, Milburn, Hume, Jameson,
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