Leamington 2 Darlington 2.

Quakers left the Phillips 66 Stadium wondering how they’d managed to take only a point from a game that they dominated for the first hour.

Quakers’ pace, movement and understanding were far too good for the Brakes, and if their finishing had been better in the first half, then the game would have been over before the break, especially as home side striker Anthony Dwyer was shown a red card for a two-footed lunge on Simon Ainge.

But a killer blow didn’t come, and a penalty award – ironically against last year’s hero Stephen Thompson – turned the game against Quakers midway through the second half, and that gave Leamington the encouragement and impetus to gamble on scoring an equaliser, which they succeeded in doing. Nevertheless, Quakers have collected seven points from the last nine, and have lost only once on their travels in the league this season.

“We’ve only got ourselves to blame,” said frustrated manager Tommy Wright. “We should have finished them off in the first half when we were playing really really well. We were wasteful, we weren’t clinical or ruthless enough. We missed chances again in the second half, then their penalty came out of nowhere and gave them a lift – you forget about the fact that they were down to ten.

“They brought the game to us, and they showed a lot of desire to force that ball over the line for the second goal. We could have been more ruthless in both boxes.

“There was only one team going to win it in the first half. We looked a class above and were really, really good. We were exciting, quick, 2-0 up and cruising. Then they went down to ten and were there for the taking. Last year, we stole three points from them, this year they stole one point from us “I expected to take four points from these two away games. We’ve dropped two at Leamington, and now I expect them to claw another two at Bradford on Tuesday night.

“I thought a lot of the performance was pleasing. The front two combined well, I thought Thommo was exciting, Trots (Luke Trotman) was different class coming forward, Alex Henshall looked like he was getting there. Jordan Nicholson was exciting and dangerous, the two midfielders covered every blade of grass. Everything was positive, I really didn’t see that result coming.”

Joe Wheatley nearly put the visitors into the lead on 4 minutes with a right foot curler from a free kick that was going into the top corner until keeper Tony Breedon just managed to push the ball around the post, but Leamington themselves had a near thing when Jack Edwards outjumped Darlington keeper Jonny Maddison to head a free kick towards goal, but Terry Galbraith cleared off the line.

Quakers looked dangerous every time they went forward , and they broke through on 18 minutes. Luke Trotman cleverly worked his way in from the right and played in Harvey Saunders, whose low shot was parried by Breedon and Simon Ainge, following up, confidently tucked the ball home.

Jordan Nicholson then missed two good chances on his left foot, but Leamington nearly levelled when Edwards, with space twelve yards out, had a shot blocked on the line by Galbraith.

Quakers kept stretching Leamington with some great passing and movement, and deservedly went 2-0 up on 32 minutes. Thompson sent Nicholson away, and even though the former Peterborough player lost possession under pressure, the ball ran for the confident Saunders to confirm his position as the club’s leading scorer by tucking the ball under Breedon.

Leamington were down to ten and seemingly out of the game on 38 minutes, when Anthony Dwyer lunged into a tackle against Ainge with his feet of the ground and was shown red – the third successive game in which Quakers’ opponents had been reduced to at least ten.

But the reduction in numbers didn’t lead to a Quakers’ victory as it had against FC United and Boston. Quakers had several chances to finish the game, and missed them.

Nicholson put a good chance – this time with his right foot – over the top and at the start of the second half Thompson was just off target twice.

Breeden just managed to keep out a Saunders header, then the referee waved away penalty appeals after Ainge had a shot blocked by a defender’s raised arm.

The dynamic of the game changed on 64 minutes, when Thompson was adjudged to have handled a throw in from the left just inside the area, and sub Colby Bishop expertly put the penalty into the top corner.

With their tails up, Leamington pushed men up and levelled six minutes later, when a right wing corner was helped on to the back post where Edwards forced the ball home.

The game could have gone either way after that, Maddison saved point blank from Callum Gittings, while Quakers had another penalty shout turned down when Ainge was held back as he turned in the box, but the referee decided that he’d used up his advantage by shooting wide.

And in the last minute, Thompson burst into the box but dragged his left foot shot wide.

Darlington: Maddison, Trotman, Hughes, Galbraith, Elliott (sub Syers 60); Henshall (sub J Burn 73), Wheatley, Nicholson, Thompson, Ainge, Saunders.

Subs not used: Glover, Hall, Lingthep.

Leamington: Breeden, English, Gudger (sub Bowen 60), Clarke (sub Flanagan 60), Mace, Lane, Dunbar, Gittings, Dwyer, Edwards, Obeng (sub Bishop 46).

Subs: Taylor, James.

Booking: English.

Sending off: Dwyer.

Goals: Ainge (18 mins, 0-1), Saunders (32 mins, 0-2), Bishop pen (63 mins, 1-2), Edwards (69 mins, 2-2).

Attendance 765.