DARLINGTON manager Tommy Wright felt that his team should have collected all three points at the Impact Arena.

Quakers missed several good chances in the second half to win their first away game since they beat FC United on 13th September, six away games ago. Nevertheless, they picked up a good away point that keeps them in 13th place in the table.

But on the other hand, they looked strong defensively against a tall forward line, which included former Quakers’ player Reece Styche. It was only the second time this season that Quakers have kept back-to-back clean sheets – the other occasions being against Telford and Southport in September. Youngster Will Smith produced another mature performance as one of three centre halves, and Wright is hoping to secure his services from Barnsley for another month in the next 48 hours.

“We were disappointed to come away with just a point, it could so easily have been three,” he said. “I couldn’t fault the lads at all – on a different day we would have taken our chances and at the same time I think we’ve shown this season that a physical team could have taken all three points against us. We stood up to it.

“We defended heroically all day and played some good football. We created some good chances in the second half that could have won the game.

“We knew that Stychey (Reece Styche) would be up for the game against his old club, and to keep him quiet for the 90 minutes says a lot for the two lads, Luke Trotman and Will Smith, who stood up to him. As a unit and a team, we defended really well.

“Will has been a revelation since he came in. Andrew Nelson took the plaudits when he came in because he scored six goals, but when you’re a centre half, it’s harder to make an impact. He’s come in, been solid and he’s enjoyed the battle of being in men’s football. He’s won headers and block tackles, and I think he’s got a great future. We’re hoping to extend his loan this week.

“That’s back-to-back clean sheets. Many a fan would have written us off doing that not long ago. We’ve gained a point, but I do feel that we should have picked up all three.

“Their keeper had a good game. He’s a big lad, and when he came out, he spread himself well. We had some agonising misses, like the Jordan Nicholson effort at the end, which we all thought was in. There were times when we were waiting for the net to ripple, but it didn’t happen. But we’ll take the positives from Saturday into this week’s game against Spennymoor.

“I hope the fans come out in their numbers for the Spennymoor game. I want to make Blackwell Meadow a fortress again. We’ve had some positive results recently at home, and hopefully we’ve won a few fans back. It will be a big game, and we need the fans behind us.”

There wasn’t much to choose between the sides in the first half. Neither defence was in too much trouble, although Quakers were more enterprising.

The first chance of the game fell to former Darlington striker Styche, who picked up a flick on from Tom Allan on the edge of the box in a yard of space, but he sidefooted straight at Jonny Maddison.

Quakers replied with a free kick from skipper Terry Galbraith from out on the right that Simon Ainge, who was solid at centre half in place of the unavailable Liam Hughes, to head into the side netting.

Alfreton came close on 26 minutes when Williams Kokolo fouled Styche just outside the corner of the box, but Maddison fisted away Jordan Sinnott’s low free kick.

Alfreton keeper Sam Ramsbottom looked less than sure with his handling, and when he was put under pressure by a Kokolo high ball, he could only palm the ball and Stephen Thompson couldn’t get on the end of it.

Just on half time, Styche showed a burst of speed down the right and pulled the ball back for Richard Peniket, who flicked his effort from ten yards wide.

That turned out to be Alfreton’s last real attempt at goal in the game, because Quakers were well in control in the second half, with the strikers unfortunate not to get amongst the goals.

Jordan Nicholson, whose forward runs always caused problems for Alfreton, threaded the ball through into Thompson’s path, but the striker pulled his shot wide of the post.

Kokolo, who looked useful at left wing back, then squared the ball for Joe Wheatley to hit a 25 yarder that Ramsbottom saved low down to his right at the second attempt.

Thompson then wriggled away from his marker again on the edge of the box and hit a piledriver that Ramsbottom managed to parry, and Harvey Saunders, following up, couldn’t quite turn the ball home.

Nicholson then ran through the midfield again and set up Saunders, who was denied by Ramsbottom saving at his feet, and Thompson showed great control on a long ball and had another effort blocked by Ramsbottom.

The hard-working Nicholson was unlucky with two efforts near the end. Ramsbottom saved a left foot shot at the foot of his post, then Nicholson played a one-two with Thompson and saw a curler with his left foot go just wide of the far post.

“It was a tough game,” said skipper Terry Galbraith. “We knew what they were about, they’re a good, strong direct team. I thought that we had the better chances to win the game, and we could have nicked the points two or three times in the second half late in the game. On another day, we would have won 2,3 or 4-0. The main thing is, that we kept a clean sheet, so that’s another positive to take from the game.”

Quakers’ home game against Brackley, which was scheduled for 2nd February, is going to be re-arranged because Brackley are involved in the third round of the Buildbase FA Trophy that day.

Teams: Alfreton: 4-3-3: Ramsbottom, Clackstone, Smith, Lynch, Riley, Shiels, Platt, Sinnott (sub Johnson 60), Styche, Peniket, Allan (sub Bateson 65).

Subs: Wagner, Nicholson, O’Brien.

Bookings: Lynch, Styche.

Darlington: 3-4-1-2: Maddison, Smith, Ainge, Galbraith, Trotman, Kokolo (sub Henshall 75), Elliott, Wheatley, Nicholson. Saunders, Thompson, Subs: O’Hanlon, Hall, Glover, Burn.

Booking: Ainge, Saunders, Wheatley, Smith.

Referee: Andrew Sykes.

Attendance: 648.