Darlington were taken to penalties by Newton Aycliffe in the Durham Challenge Cup, winning the shoot-out 4-3 at the Beaumont Landscapes Stadium.

The match had finished 2-2, Junior Mondal and Jack Lambert scoring for Quakers, who used the contest to give 90 minutes to some of their fringe players.

Aside from Mondal and Lambert, also involved were Brandon Taylor, Alex Purver, Danny Rose and Andrew Nelson.

But it was Northern League Newton Aycliffe who started the contest strongly and fully deserved to go 1-0 up after 13 minutes through Joe Ferguson.

He finished low into the corner after a run through Quakers’ defence, which looked less than secure in the early stages.

Darlington steadily grew into the contest, however, and levelled when Mondal blasted a low shot beyond Adam Pickford after good work up the right by Omar Sanyang.

Head of academy Stephen Elliott was in charge for the night, though Alun Armstrong and assistant manager Darren Holloway were in attendance, and they saw Lambert put Darlington ahead in the second half with a goal direct from a corner.

A curling delivery deceived Pickford and sailed in under the bar to put Darlington into the driving seat for the first time, but they were pegged back by the best goal of the night.

Half-time substitute Liam Jarvie lashed home with a tremendous strike from distance to take the tie to penalties, though Quakers sub Jack Winstanley almost won it at the death.

The academy player made an impact in his short time on the pitch, and his shot was blocked at close-range by Lewis Walton after Lambert’s pass following a run up the left.

It was straight to penalties, Nelson, Rose, Winstanley and Lambert scoring to win the shootout 4-3, while Pickford saved from Purver.

Aycliffe’s scorers were Jake Petitjean, Ferguson and Sonni Coleman, with Ethan Wood hitting the bar and Walton blasting over.

Newton Aycliffe: Pickford, Brown, Green, Walton, Walker, Dibb-Fuller, Ryder, Ferguson, Coleman, Ardelean, Wood.

Darlington: Martin, Sanyang, Groom, Chidanyika, Taylor, Woodhouse, Lambert, Purver, Nelson, Rose, Mondal.