DARLINGTON secured an impressive win in dramatic style, Stephen Thompson scoring the winner in added time to put Quakers back on track.

A draw looked likely after play-off hopefuls Kidderminster Harriers equalised with 12 minutes to go, and a draw would not have been a bad a result for Quakers.

Last week they lost 3-0 at Brackley, while Kidderminster had not lost a league away game since September.

But Tommy Wright’s team have now won four of their last five matches, today climbing four places to 14th, after game that saw Josh Heaton score his first goal for the club.

The centre-back netted on 11 minutes after Phil Turnbull’s free-kick into the penalty area, Reece Styche won the aerial ball and Heaton had two stabs at it before finding the net, giving Quakers a lead they held until half-time.

Kidderminster held a lot of possession but were unable to turn it into goals with Darlington goalkeeper Aynsley Pears making several good saves.

Pears, 19, on loan from Middlesbrough, was behind a youthful Darlington defence which also featured Luke Trotman, 20, and a centre-back pairing with a combined age of 40: 19-year-old Jack Vaulks alongside 21-year-old Heaton.

Vaulks was making his first start for the club in a reshuffled defence due to Ben O’Hanlon being rested due to an abdominal injury sustained at Brackley, while Gary Brown as unavailable too.

Joe Wheatley 21, and Harvey Saunders, 20, were also in the starting XI, the pair replaced in the second half as Wright sent on Leon Scott and Josh Gillies.

Kidderminster saw a lot of the ball in the second half, but just when they appeared to have run out of steam, they got their rewards.

Substitute Joe Ironside made the most of a rare lapse in Darlington’s defence on 78 minutes.

Perhaps Pears missed the flight of the ball in the sun, Kidderminster’s diagonal ball deceiving the keeper, Ironside beating him in the air before tapping home after the ball rebounded off the post.

Within moments Darlington should have been leading 2-1, Reece Styche losing his footing with the goal at his mercy after a Dave Syers pass and with the goalkeeper nowhere.

Gillies came close to scoring, a shot dropping just past the post from outside the post, but a draw looked likely as the 90th minute came.

But Thompson had the last say. He ran at the visitors’ defence, dribbling into the penalty area before drilling under goalkeeper Jonathon Flatt to spark celebrations for the home fans.

Goals: Heaton (11, 1-0), Ironside (77, 1-1); Thompson (90, 2-1)

Bookings: Weeks (42, dissent), Pearson (56, foul); Heaton (62, foul); Horsfall (66, foul); Turnbull (81, foul)

Referee: Dean Hulme

Attendance: 1,427

Darlington (4-2-3-1): Pears; Trotman, Vaulks, Heaton, Galbraith; Turnbull, Wheatley (Scott 69), Thompson, Syers, Saunders (Gillies 69); Styche. Subs not used: Bancroft (gk), Glover, Mills

Kidderminster Harriers (4-2-3-1): Flatt; Vaughan, Horsfall, Pearson, Austin; Croasdale, Weeks (Brown 68); McQuilkin (Sonupe 68), Bradley, Ngwatala; Waring (Ironside 60). Subs not used: Palmer, Truslove