DARLINGTON endured a day to forget as they suffered a bruising 5-1 defeat at Brackley.

Playing away to a team that has not lost at home in the league since December was always going to be a tough task, especially given the number of players unavailable to manager Alun Armstrong.

But few would have predicted such a scoreline, one which firmly ended Darlington’s eight-match unbeaten run.

It was 5-0 at half-time, Quakers conceding as many goals in the first 45 minutes as they had in their previous eight games combined.

Brackley’s scorers were Lee Ndlovu (2), Matt Lowe, Wes York and Shane Byrne.

It is Darlington's heaviest defeat since losing 5-2 at Kidderminster Harriers in August 2018.

Armstrong was without Ben Hedley (suspended), Michael Liddle (injured) and international duo Justin Donawa and Osagi Bascome.

So Louis Laing started his first match since September 14, playing in a three-man defence as Armstrong switched to 3-5-2 due to the lack of right-back options. He used the same formation last season at Brackley when Blyth got a 1-1 draw.

Into the ranks came new signing Jack Lambert, an attacking midfielder who arrived on loan from Scunthorpe United on Friday, and Darlington-born youth team players Mason Hurworth and Steven Johnson Jnr.

Johnson is the son of Steven Johnson, who played for Quakers in the Northern League season.

Lambert and Hurworth made their debuts in the second half, while Armstrong’s 16-year-old son Rhys was also used as a substitute.

The second period saw the one bright spot of the day with Stephen Thompson edging closer to a century of goals.

He scored a 65th minute penalty, the 99th time he has scored for Darlington.

Quakers ended the match with ten men as, having used all of their subs, Terry Galbraith suffered an injury late on and limped off.

Thoughts now turn to Wednesday’s sold out FA Cup replay with Walsall, who ended their six-match losing run in the league today with a 2-1 win over Cambridge United.

Brackley: Lewis, Myles, Franklin, Byrne, Audel, Dean, Lowe, Murombedzi, Ndlovu (Daire 81), York (Fairlamb 71), Walker (Holman 55). Subs (not used): Armson, Noon

Darlington: Connell, Storey, Laing, Galbraith, Rivers (Hurworth 76), Watson, Hatfield, Wheatley, Holness (Lambert 46), Campbell (R Armstrong 76), Thompson. Subs (not used): Elliott, Johnson.