Stockport County 1 Darlington 1

A YOUTHFUL Darlington team ended the season with a draw at Stockport County.

Tommy Wright made five changes, giving starts to youngsters Jack Vaulks, Mitchell Glover and Harvey Saunders, while two Darlington-born teenagers – Bradley Moncur and Jamie O’Brien – came off the bench.

With little at stake for mid-table Darlington the result was not of great significance, while Stockport were already assured of their play-off place.

Darlington, who finished the season 12th, lined up in a 4-1-3-2 formation, with Mitchell Glover give his final game as a 16-year-old before his birthday on Monday.

He started in front of the defence, with Tom Portas, Dave Syers and Stephen Thompson in midfield with Harvey Saunders and Reece Styche up front.

In the opening stages it was Darlington’s defence that did well to keep their team in the game, they were pushed back by a team gearing up for the play-offs, though they had made seven changes in preparation.

In the sixth minute Darlington made three desperate blocks in the space of a few seconds to stay at 0-0, Gary Brown twice throwing himself in front of the ball and Josh Heaton clearing off the line from Matthew Warburton.

Goalkeeper Aynsley Pears then saved at close-range from Darren Stephenson, while in the battle of the beanpoles - Heaton up against Stockport’s Bohan Dixon – it was the Darlington defender who was coming out in top.

Another chance for Stockport came at a corner, Harry Winter heading over at the far post after meeting Harry Brazel’s delivery.

This came midway through the half with Darlington yet to make an impression, and then Dixon hit the side-netting after retrieving the ball from the right channel and cutting inside Ben O’Hanlon.

But from nowhere Quakers took the lead, scoring with their first shot of the day after 32 minutes.

Syers muscled the ball from an opponent midway through the Stockport half and fed Thompson who took a touch before burying the ball beyond Ian Ormson.

“Aynsley Pears, we want you to stay,” was the message from the travelling Darlington fans, who were in good heart throughout the first half, which ended with their team in front despite having only one shot in the first 45.

But there was nothing Pears could do to stop Stockport’s leveller on 64 minutes.

Darlington were caught napping after a break in play when a Stockport player was injured, allowing Dan Cowan to run forward with the ball after a Dixon pass and lash home from around 20 yards.

It was a fine strike by the right-back, scoring his first goal for County, and it ensured they stayed ahead of Chorley in the table.

Quakers quickly responded and Portas had keeper Ormson worried when he let fly and was not far off the target with a rising effort from outside the penalty area.

Little of note occurred in the closing stages, though there was significant moment for teenagers Moncur and O’Brien who came on for their debut in the final minute.

They have impressed Wright in training in recent months and the manager was keen to give their first taste of senior football – though seconds after they came on referee Ben Speedie blew the final whistle on the game and the season.

Goals: Thompson (32, 0-1); Cowan (64, 1-1)

Bookings: Portas (80, foul)

Referee: Ben Speedie

Attendance: 6,163

Stockport County (4-1-3-2): Ormson; Cowan, Clarke, O’Halloran, Duxbury (Smalley 63); Winter (Czubik 77); Warburton (West 46), Minihan, Brazel; Dixon, Stephenson. Subs (not used): Hinchcliffe, Turnbull

Darlington (4-1-3-2): Pears; Brown, Heaton, Vaulks, O’Hanlon (Moncur 90); Glover, Thompson, Portas, Syers (Turnbull 74); Saunders (O’Brien 90), Styche. Subs (not used): Bancroft (gk), Caton