LAUGHTER filled the room during the summer at a fans’ forum when Alun Armstrong was asked about the chances of Darlington having a long-awaited FA Cup run.

Their team had fallen at the first hurdle in each of the last four seasons, and have only experienced fleeting moments of joy in the competition going back 30 years, hence supporters’ cynicism.

Nobody was laughing last night, however, not a bit of it.

Instead the reaction was one of pride as Darlington ran their League Two visitors Walsall close.

Pride, but with a touch of frustration.

Eleven days after holding them a 2-2 draw, a single goal separated the teams at Blackwell Meadows, when Darlington were on top for lengthy spells in the first half.

Ultimately, they will regret not scoring when on top and that will be a source of frustration, as will switching off at a set-piece and allowing Walsall to score in the second half when Quakers failed to gather a head of steam.

Nonetheless, they have enjoyed an FA Cup for the first time in many a year.

Armstrong’s remit, as referred to in pre-season, was to have a crack at the competition, one in which every year a handful of non-league clubs make a name for themselves and a few quid.

Quakers have collected £36,750 in prize money after beating Trafford, Leamington and Tamworth, plus another £33,750 for the game being broadcast on BT Sport.

It is quite a contrast from the past four seasons when prize money amounted to zero.

Having been dreadful in the FA Cup pre and post-2012 when they became a fan-owned club, it is little wonder that winning three ties created excitement.

Supporters snapped up every available ticket, packing out Blackwell Meadows with the Tin Shed in full voice from well before kick-off in support of Armstrong’s men.

He had become the first Quakers boss to manage three FA Cup wins in one season since 1989-90, when most of the Darlington squad was not even born.

Stephen Thompson was though, just, and he was almost on the end of Darlington’s first glimpse of goal last night as Jarrett Rivers passed from near the byline on the right, but Walsall cut the ball out just before it reached the forward.

Quakers’ bright start continued when Rivers’ run on the right led to Will Hatfield having a fierce blast parried by goalkeeper Liam Roberts.

The early stages so both teams have good spells. Walsall’s Josh Gordon collapsed to the floor looking for a penalty, seconds before Rory Holden sliced wide from inside the 18-yard area.

Gordon flashed a drive over after cutting inside, proving to be Saddlers’ main threat, as was Rivers for Quakers, the nimble winger with FA Cup pedigree.

He earned a place in folklore with his winner for Blyth Spartans away to Hartlepool United five years ago, and he looked Quakers’ most likely to carve open Saddlers’ defence as he tormented left-back Callum Cockerill-Mollet.

One dribble led to a deflected shot which Roberts held, but by the midway through the first half Armstrong’s men were more than holding their own and giving Walsall problems.

A Rivers delivery was inches way from Thompson, the club stalwart looking for his 100th Darlington goal.

Midfielder Hatfield, a talismanic force and scorer of a beauty in an FA Cup shock last season for Guiseley against Cambridge United, was as inspirational as he was in the first game at the Banks’s Stadium.

In one moment he drove forward with real intent, charging into the penalty area past a clutch of red shirts, the delivery ambitious and out of play, but soon Quakers were on the attack again with marauding left-back Michael Liddle getting a low shot in saved by Roberts.

Darlington finished the half on top and left the field to a standing ovation, though not before Thompson dinked a lovely ball down the channel with the outside of his foot - one for the cameras - into Adam Campbell’s path.

BT Sport viewers had been treated to some excellent football from the National League North side in the first 45 minutes,

The first goal threat of the second 45 saw Walsall right-back Cameron Norman fire a free-kick well over Liam Connell’s goal after a rash challenge by Omar Holness 20 yards from goal.

Holness was involved in Darlington’s next attack, playing a short pass to Thompson who, after briefly losing the ball and then dispossessing former Pools' midfielder Gary Liddle, charged forward with Hatfield but Walsall got numbers back and managed to snuff out the danger.

Liddle was soon hooked, replaced by Alfie Bates who was effective in the first game, Walsall began to show some fight.

After a swift break Caolan Lavery turned a shot over, a warning sign for Quakers, and increasingly it was the Saddlers on top with Darlington unable to recreate the momentum they held before the break.

There were penalty shouts when Cockerill-Mollet appeared to use a hand when cutting out a Rivers header after a free-kick, though it may have been accidental.

But the attack was not dead, Darlington pressed and Hatfield blasted in a low drive that Roberts gathered.

There was little Connell could do at the other end, however, when Walsall took the lead on 68 minutes, Lavery netting a close-range header after meeting Holden’s corner.

Lavery also netted in the first meeting, making it 1-1 on 86 minutes after which point there were another two goals, so Darlington knew full well there was life in this game yet.

Campbell was unable to latch onto Thompson’s through-ball when a slight touch would have given the seven-goal striker a run at goal.

However, without the pacey Justin Donawa to call on, away on international duty with Bermuda, Darlington did not have a Plan B, instead, Armstrong opted for Plan L and put centre-back on Louis Laing up front.

There was no real last hurrah, however.

Walsall saw the game out without fuss, and face Oxford in the second round. Darlington’s race was run, their Cup fun is over for this season and they will look forward with relish to next season when they’ll hope to enjoy it again.