Stephen Thompson: 'It was a derby and I scored in front of the Tin Shed, it was perfect'

At the Tin Shed end, Spennymoor Town the opposition, the score 1-1 in a tense encounter, Thompson steps up and smashes home a penalty to not only give Darlington a Boxing Day victory, but also reach 100 goals for the club.

It was the dream scenario and achieved emphatically: foot through the ball and smashed into the centre of the net like so many of his previous 99 goals for the club since he got his first on October 2, 2012.

That was a win away to Penrith, since when both the club and Thompson have been involved in some memorable and significant highs and lows.

At 4.32pm on December 26, 2019 came another one, and after Quakers had recorded another impressive win – having also beaten other promotion contenders Chester and York lately – Thompson was heralded as the hero.

Since getting goal 99 he had not scored in seven matches, and he joked: "All those misses in the last few weeks were on purpose, I've been waiting for that moment!

"It was nerve-wracking and I was quite emotional as well. That was the dream last night, playing Spennymoor and to get the winner in front of the Tin Shed. I didn't know what to do, I hurt my back celebrating I think.

"I was drained celebrating, it took everything out of me but it was worth it."

He added: "I'd been telling myself that it hadn't affected me, being on 99, but it probably had. The chance against Gainsborough, I had 75 things on my mind when I was running through on goal.

"That's a weight lifted and now I want to go on and get more."

Away to Blyth tomorrow would not be a bad place to get goal 101, or even at Spennymoor on New Year's Day when the teams meet again.

Yesterday was the third successive match in which Thompson had scored a penalty against Spennymoor, last season's games being a 2-2 draw and a 2-1 win for Town, who went into this match unbeaten in 13 league matches.

Quakers, though, have had some good results of late so were unchanged and confident, but it was Town's Glen Taylor who had the first shot, on the turn after a pass by Ben McKenna, Chris Elliott getting down low to his left to keep it out.

Sean Reid, making his home debut, scored twice last season against Spennymoor and got on the end of Adam Campbell's ball over the top of Town's defence, but a linesman's flag rescued Spennymoor, and Chris Elliott did likewise when dangerman Taylor got in a shot when presented with a half-chance.

From a seemingly unthreatening position and with a defender close by, Town's top scorer cracked in an 18-yard shot that Quakers' keeper pushed away. It was typical of Taylor's latent threat.

Darlington's leading scorer Campbell, however, who got back on the scoresheet with a wonder strike with a goal of his own making on Saturday at York, was on target yesterday and again he did all the leg work.

On 24 minutes he collected possession on the right before turning Town's Nathan Buddle into the ground, advancing and cracking home a low shot from 16 yards to score a goal he celebrated in front of the gathering of Spennymoor fans – who numbered 280 - for which he was booked by referee Jonathan Urwin.

Darlington lost this fixture last season despite taking the lead, and yesterday it took Town just six minutes to restore parity.

Ben McKenna floated over a cross after good work down the left and Taylor's towering header beat Elliott for his 17th goal of the season to make it 1-1.

Taylor equalised last season too, though on that occasion with a rocket of a free-kick.

Given his conduct during previous fixtures, particularly 11 months ago when caught on camera at Blackwell performing an offensive hand gesture, Jamie Chandler was about as popular three-day old brussel sprouts.

Jeered whenever he touched the ball and at one point laughed at when he miskicked the ball entirely, it was a character test which Chandler came through successfully, this time not rising to the provocation.

He was part of a solid approach from Spennymoor which saw them get men behind the ball, keep their shape and prevent Darlington from making progress in once it was 1-1.

Referee Urwin rivalled Chandler for the role of pantomime villain, a situation of his own making after a string of dubious decisions, most notably when wrongly playing on when Reid was felled inside Moors' penalty area.

However, Urwin atoned for his error when he pointed to spot after Buddle had tangled with Reid, not a clear decision and one Moors were incensed about.

Quakers were not complaining on this occasion, certainly not when Thompson stepped up to blast his spot-kick straight down the middle, Matthew Gould got a hand to it but not enough to stop Darlington going 2-1 ahead.

Thompson raced over to the Darlington fans to celebrate, later saying: "Emotion took over. I know where I was going to go with the penalty, I was going to hit it as hard as I could down the middle, that always gives you a chance if you catch it cleanly.

"It hit the keeper's hand, but it still went in and all the lads got hold of me, it was pure emotion.

"My mam and dad, our lass and my grandad are here every home game and they go to away games when my dad is off work. Every home game the four of them are here so I'm glad I did it at home, it could not have been better.

"It was a derby and I scored in front of the Tin Shed, it was perfect."

It was a moment of history. The goal meant Thompson equalled the club record of 100 set by Alan Walsh in 1984, cementing his place in Quakers folklore.

However, there were still 17 minutes to go which Darlington navigated though there were a couple of scares, none more so when substitute Adam Boyes wasted a chance in the dying seconds by glancing a header wide.

But nobody was going to spoil the day for Thompson, who received a standing ovation when substituted.

Kitman Gary Smith gave him a specially-made t-shirt featuring the slogan 'Just did it', commemorative photographs were taken and the Tin Shed sang his praises.

The three points mean Darlington are now ninth, but this was a moment of history and chance to celebrate Stephen Thompson: a Darlington legend.