Darlington lose what could be final game (From The Northern Echo)

Darlington lose what could be final game

6:09pm Saturday 7th January 2012 in Darlington FC Match Reports By Craig Stoddart, Deputy Sports Editor

There were tears on the terraces as Darlington lost what could turn out to be their final ever game today at Barrow.

Caretaker manager Craig Liddle was also hugely emotional during his post-match interviews after Quakers sank to a 3-0 defeat.

His team were never at their best at Holker Street, but the performance was of secondary importance as over a thousand fans travelled from the North-East to show their support on a hugely significant day.

They spilled on to the pitch at full-time and captain Jamie Chandler threw his shirt into the away end after playing what could be his final match, whether the club survives or not.

Quakers are in administration and on the brink of liquidation unless a successful resolution can be found over the next seven days.

There is still hope that Darlington will survive this brush with death, and the supporters showed their strength of feeling by backing Craig Liddle’s team throughout at Barrow.

But Barrow, with one of the best home records in the division, led 2-0 at the break. Keeper Sam Russell, who leaves the Arena on Wednesday having submitted 14 days’ notice, allowing an Adam Boyes shot through his hands.

Andy Cook headed the second, after a left-wing cross, to deflate the Darlington supporters who were hoping the occasion would be greeted with an away win.

But the supporters, who were joined behind the goal by former Quakers winger Neil Wainwright, did not let up in their backing with Liddle’s name frequently being chanted by the 1,072 travelling fans – exactly half of the overall gate.

They would loved a goal to celebrate, but the only strike of the second half came when Cook swept home from close-range.

He scored after Boyes had took the ball past left-back Aaron Brown, though the Darlington player appeared to have been fouled, but referee Amy Fearn played.

She made a series of controversial decisions, but Quakers could not blame her for the defeat as they were not at their best today.

Against the odds, Liddle’s team, with a diminishing squad size, have produced a good run of form of late, but perhaps today was a game too far.

That they used a midfielder and a striker at centre-back, Kris Taylor and Liam Hatch, said it all. Graeme Lee suffered had a knee injury so was unable to play, and his unavailability meant Darlington had five youth team players in the 16.

One of them, Rob Ramshaw, made his senior debut as a late substitute. It’s heartbreakingly ironic that, with so many young talents come through the system, while the future of Darlington could be so bright, yet is also so bleak.

At the final whistle proud supporters chanted “Darlo ‘til I die”. This may not be the end of Darlington Football Club just yet, but it certainly felt that way.

Referee: Amy Fearn (Leicestershire)

Barrow (4-3-3): Hurst; Smith, Bolland, Hone, Skelton; Baker, Owen, Ferrell; Cook, Boyes, Rutherford. Subs: Pearson, Nicholas, Sheridan, Lomax, Moyo

Darlington (4-4-1-1): Russell; Arnison, Hatch, Taylor, Brown; McReady, Chandler, Bridge-Wilkinson, Rundle; Hopson; Bowman. Subs: Nixon (gk), P Gray, Harrison, Ramshaw, J Gray