DARLINGTON debutant Dale Hopson was man of the match on Saturday, yet Craig Liddle says the talented teenager may not play in the team's next game so as to protect him.

He was handed his senior debut and, from a position just behind striker Liam Hatch, the 19-year-old played a key role as Quakers stormed to a 3-1 win at Ebbsfleet United in which the Thornaby-based youngster scored the third goal.

The apparent ease with which he adapted to the step up from under-18s football was striking and Liddle revealed he had wanted him to play weeks ago.

But Liddle, caretaker manager as well as the club's head of youth, decided against it and instead unleashed him to great affect at Stonebridge Road on Saturday.

Liddle said: "I've held him back because I wanted to play him against Hinckley, but I didn't think that was the right time. So I thought coming down here, an away game, might be the right time and I was 100 per cent confident that he wouldn't let us down.

"He was fantastic, absolutely outstanding. I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with him and he's a good lad too, so he deserves it.

"But it might be a case that, if I'm still caretaker next week, I might take him out of the team because I won't hammer him, he's still at a critical stage of his development.

"He needs to be learning still and enjoying things, so we'll see how he goes during the week, but the lad's got quality, that's without a shadow of a doubt.

"He's trained since day one when I became caretaker manager and he's looked the part."

It was in the second half that he really made an impact, and Liddle added: "He is a clever player and picks out good positions, but the lads weren't finding him as much as I'd have liked.

"But in the second half they picked him out and he was causing all sorts of problems.

"He's come from a youth team that's winning week in, week out, so he's got that belief and confidence. He took up some good positions and he didn't give the ball away much."

Hopson grabbed his goal in injury time, rounding the keeper after being faced with a one-on-one scenario, and Liddle added: "I think I was running down the pitch with him, but I knew he'd score.

"I had every belief and I knew he'd go around the keeper because he does that all the time in training all the time. He's got that composure, he's got real quality."