DARLINGTON may have taken Reece Styche from striker from Tamworth, but it was the East Midlands club who took the three points today.

With their new striker looking on from the Blackwell Meadows balcony, Quakers lacked a cutting edge and spurned several chances to score, while the visitors scored from their only effort on target.

It was a promising display by Darlington and something of a smash and grab win for Tamworth, Darryl Knights netting midway through the second half and it earned the Lambs’ second win in eight matches, while it means Darlington are still without a win under Tommy Wright.

It was the manager’s fourth game in charge and he stuck with the 3-5-2 formation tired last week at Kidderminster Harriers bur made five personnel changes, handing debuts to new signings Luke Trotman and Greg Mills.

But there was no Nathan Cartman as he signed for Farsley Celtic this morning, scoring on his debut this afternoon.

Trotman and Mills have both been brought in from Wright’s former club Nuneaton Town, and there penalty appeals when Trotman found himself on the wrong side of Ben Fox and tripped the Lamb man, but referee Dean Hulme played on.

Darlington otherwise had the better of the half without being dominant, their best chance being headed over by Dave Syers following a cross by Trotman, and Quakers were similarly wasteful in the second half.

Mills shot at keeper Shaun Rowley after being played in by Syers, and on 71 minutes Tamworth went 1-0 ahead, quickly countering after a Darlington throw deep in opposition territory.

Tamworth’s Ellis Deeney, brother of Watford’s Troy, carried the ball forward, and played in Knights to finish.

In the closing stages Quakers’ Joe Wheatley struck the bar with a free-kick after man of the match Stephen Thompson had been fouled, Syers blasted over from a good position after quick feet on the edge of the area by James Caton, and Rowley pulled off a remarkable save at close-range to keep out a header by Harvey Saunders when meeting a Josh Gillies corner.

Goals: Knights (71, 0-1)

Bookings: Upton (17, foul); Syers (37, dissent), Thompson (83, foul); Burns (90, foul)

Referee: Dean Hulme

Attendance: 1,246

Darlington (3-4-1-2): Wilczynski; Collins, Brown, Galbraith; Trotman, Syers, Wheatley, Mills; Gillies (Saunders 78); Thompson, Caton. Subs (not used): Bancroft (gk), Scott, Portas, Heaton

Tamworth (3-4-1-2): Rowley; Upton, Jones, Lane; Burns, Fox, Deeney, Morley; Verma; Reid (Taylor 69), Knights (Powell 81). Subs (not used): Coulson, Shaw, Hayden