THERE had been an inevitability about Stephen Thompson reaching a century of goals for Darlington. Like a goalkeeper looking down the barrel at one of his trademark thunderbolts, it has been coming.

No player has played more games or scored more goals for Darlington since they became fan-owned in 2012, his latest strike not only giving them three points on Boxing Day but also put him in the history books.

It means he has reached 100 goals, matching the total Alan Walsh got for Darlington in the early 1980s, Thompson completing his ton with a penalty against Spennymoor Town in front of the Tin Shed, the ideal scenario.

It was the 23rd spot-kick of his century, a landmark he would’ve reached long ago had he been on penalty duty more often during the four seasons covering 2013-14 and 2016-17 when he only took three from 12 yards. But shooting from further out is his trademark.

Quick feet, strength on the ball, the ability to muscle past defenders, they’re qualities Thompson possess, and shooting from 20 yards or so is his territory. Central position, ball unleashed from his right foot before bustling the back of the net, that’s a typical Thompson goal.

It is how the 30-year-old will be remembered when he has left Darlington, when only memories remain and supporters are reminiscing about the achievements of a player whose legendary status was attained long ago having been part of three promotion-winning teams since joining in September 2012, and named player of the year four times.

It has helped that he has avoided serious injury across eight seasons, though it has become the norm for ‘Thommo’, who works at AKS Bearings Ltd in his hometown of Peterlee, to miss a match or two in August during ‘factory fortnight’.

The dream had been to make it as a professional. As a teenager he was in the youth system at Middlesbrough for whom played against Quakers at the Arena in 2007.

After being released by Boro in 2008, spells with Port Vale and Telford United followed before returning to the North-East with Durham City where he excelled and was lured to Darlington at the beginning of their new era in the Northern League in 2012-13, a time when the club needed a new team and new heroes.

Manager Martin Gray paid a five-figure fee and did likewise weeks later to bring in Terry Galbraith from Dunston UTS, and the pair are the last men standing from the Northern League season, when Darlington brushed aside opponents en route to the title with Thompson netting 19 times in 37 appearances.

It was a standard beneath his capabilities and during this period team-mate Gary Brown nicknamed him the ‘Peterlee Gascoigne’ for his match-winning ability.

He has usually been wide left or right, always offering more than just goals. It was in the crunch match at title rivals Spennymoor Town when he played a blinder with a crucial role in a pivotal 3-1 win; a raking pass before the second goal and then barrelling run down the right and crossing to tee up the third.

His best tally of 27 came in 2013-14, three coming on a December day at Burscough, 319 fortunate fans seeing Thompson score three outrageous goals in a performance than earned an extremely rare mark of ten in the Echo.

During his first few years there was talk of moving on to bigger things, of getting another chance at professional level. He had joined Quakers aged 23 with time to give the pro game another go. In October 2013 he said: “I think I could play higher, given the chance. I’ve got to do what I can here and see what happens. You’ve got to do well in these leagues and work your way up.”

A transfer did not materialise, however, and his third season, 2014-15, saw him mark his 100th Darlington appearance with his 50th goal, a lob away to Mossley, and the campaign ended in a second promotion, this time via the play-offs.

Darlington made it back-to-back promotions the following year, 2015-16, with Thompson part of a side that came out on top in a competitive head-to-head with Blyth Spartans, Quakers finishing on 104 points. The final nine fixtures were played inside 21 gruelling days with Thompson playing in all of them and scoring four times, the last on tumultuous night at Whitby Town.

That glorious title-winning night stands alongside any of the pre-2012 highlights. A point was needed to finish first, it was tense, thousands of Quakers supporters headed to the coast and they were rewarded with a 7-1 win. It was 5-0 after 20 minutes with a white-booted Thompson getting the ball rolling early on by taking the ball beyond the goalkeeper to make it 1-0 and ease everyone’s nerves.

Promotion took Darlington into the National League North where they remain today, into their fourth season and success has been harder to come by, though Thompson remains important.

He scored three goals in a 3-2 win in January 2018 at Leamington, his fourth hat-trick for the club, though six months later during the Tommy Wright era he was tried as an unorthodox right-wingback and also named on the bench.

On his first appearance after being recalled, however, Thompson provided a reminder of his talents by lobbing the Kidderminster Harriers goalkeeper from 30 yards, an audacious effort that won the club’s goal of the season.

He ended 2018-19 on ten goals, double figures for the season for a fifth time, and Alun Armstrong has since replaced Wright. Thompson enjoys playing for him, there is mutual respect.

This term he is on six goals, the best of them being the winner at home to Blyth when he larruped one home from the edge of the penalty area, another of Stephen’s rockets.

Walsh was also known for his long-range goals, for cutting in from the left and deceiving the goalkeeper with power and precision, and there is mileage in comparing the two, who are both happen to be from the same neck of the woods: Walsh from Horden, Thompson from Peterlee.

Their achievements came at different levels; Walsh’s 100 were all in the professional ranks when Darlington were in Division 4 (League 2 in today’s terms).

Not that it makes a difference statistically, but some of the teams Thompson has played in over 325 games have been successful, so it reflects well on Walsh that he scored so often – in 279 appearances – despite Darlington enduring some lean years during his time (the team’s highest finishing position in his six seasons was eighth).

Yet, there will be no asterisk beside Thompson in the record books, nothing to suggest his achievement means any less and nor should there be – his goals, like any by a player wearing the Quakers crest pre or post 2012, have meant just as much as any other.

Fans who watched Walsh fondly recall his achievements, such as his four-goal salvo versus Hartlepool United in 1982, and years from now the supporters of today will do likewise about Thompson’s ton.