NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH: Darlington defeated at Blackwell by Boston United

DARLINGTON suffered a home defeat to Boston United after a below par performance at Blackwell Meadows.

The visitors had gone 2-0 up in the first half, Reece Styche pulling one back before the break, but that was as good as it got against solid opposition.

The defeat was only Quakers’ second in 12 games, and means they are now 13th in the table.

It was a largely drab start with little activity at either end of a pitch that showed signs of the recent wet weather but had largely well aside from a couple of puddles in the middle of the surface.

In contrast to Quakers’ last home game, a 6-0 win over North Ferriby, there was little goalmouth action early on.

A counter attack ended when a Stephen Thompson cross was cut out, and then Boston piled forward but Aynsley Pears was equal to James Clifton’s low effort after cutting inside.

Reece Thompson, the Boston striker, won a free-kick after falling when sensing Quakers’ Thompson was about to make a challenge, but Darlington dealt with the free-kick.

The 28th minute marked the 400 minutes since Darlington last conceded, when Joe Ironside scored for Kidderminster on February 24, a run of four and a bit matches.

But that good run was soon to end.

First, however, as the game livened up, came a rare Darlington chance: Josh Gillies’ corner to far post found Reece Styche who headed wide, though he felt it took a deflection and believed another corner should’ve been awarded.

Quakers’ hopes of keeping another clean sheet ended on 35 minutes when Reece Thompson fired home.

He beat Pears from an acute angle after Darlington had lost the ball inside their own third, a slack goal to give away, and it was soon 2-0.

Darlington went 2-0 down after an attack down the Boston right, Clifton playing the ball across and Ashley Hemmings keeping a cool head to finish.

It was a huge blow to Quakers, suddenly trailing by two goals, but they had been below par while Boston had done more from an attacking point of view.

Gillies was over the top with a free-kick after Joe Wheatley had been hauled down by Jordan Keane, who was booked.

As the half-time whistle approached, good, patient passing football led to Darlington pulling a goal back.

They were looking for an opening with several players involved in a move which eventually came to fruition when Gillies played in Styche, who turned a defender and fired home to make it 2-1.

Quakers ended the half well, but did not continue the momentum into the beginning of the second period, with Boston shading it.

Reece Thompson tumbled under no pressure, not for the first time in the contest, when he tried to con the officials into believing Galbraith had tripped him when the Darlington defender had nothing of the sort, but no action was taken by the referee.

Thompson’s strike-partner Jake Beesley then became centre of attention with a remarkable miss.

The ball was loose ball in the box after Pears parried Clifton’s shot, but instead of tapping it in the Boston forward elected for power and missed the open goal, firing across the pitch and conceded a throw-in.

Darlington began to show signs of putting up a fight, though they struggled to test George Willis in the Boston goal.

A Josh Heaton header was wide after a Gillies free-kick, but Darlington’s day was summed up when Wheatley lost possession under no pressure, the ball bobbling away from him and out of play as Quakers attempted a counter attack.

Tommy Wright made two changes midway through the half, replacing Phil Turnbull and Josh Gillies with James Caton and Greg Mills.

Mills went up front with Styche, with Caton on the left of midfield, but the changes did not instigate a fightback, Boston never really in danger of conceding an equaliser.

In the final five minutes Dom Collins made his return after three months out with a hamstring injury when he replaced Tom Portas, who had also made his comeback following a calf strain.

But their comebacks were two of the few bright spots for Darlington on a disappointing day.

In added time Caton blasted over from 18 yards, seconds after Josh Heaton fell in the area, but that was as close to an equaliser as Quakers came.

Darlington (4-2-3-1): Pears; Portas (Collins 87), Heaton, Galbraith, O’Hanlon; Turnbull (Mills 63), Wheatley; Thompson, Syers, Gillies (Caton 63); Styche. Subs not used: Bancroft (gk), Glover

Boston United (4-4-2): Willis; Middleton, Keane, Qualter, Brogan; Clifton (Smith 82), Abbott, Thanoj (McGuire 67), Hemmings; Thompson, Beesley (Watula 85). Subs not used: Tshimanga, Stewart