A STOPPAGE-TIME goal by Ben Liddle rescued a point for Darlington against Buxton this evening.

They looked as if they were heading for their third successive defeat, until Kallum Griffiths was fouled in stoppage time and the cool Liddle fired the penalty into the roof of the net - seconds after coming on as a substitute.

However, the dark shadow of the floodlights hung over the game all night.

After two minutes’ play, there was a stoppage lasting 25 minutes because of floodlight failure, with the game restarting at 8.15pm, and the referee considered abandoning the fixture.

The rugby ground at Blackwell Meadows has already suffered floodlight failures on two previous occasions this season, but this one seemed to be the most ominous so far.

When play restarted, Josh Granite headed over the bar from a couple of yards from a Jordan Barnett corner, then Diego De Girolamo fired wide with a left foot shot from the edge of the box.

Quakers nearly scored on 39 minutes when Kaine Felix picked up a throw in from Griffiths, ran along the goal line, and hit a right foot shot across the face of goal.

Jack Lambert nearly added to his 16 goals on 40 minutes when he beat a defender outside the area and struck a left foot shot that smacked against the crossbar.

Both sides had half-chances leading up to half time. Lambert got round the back of the defence on the left but his low pass was intercepted, and at the other end Max Conway put a weak shot into the hands of Darlington keeper Tommy Taylor.

The Bucks had a couple of half chances before half time, and just after the break, Jassem Sukar, who scored in the reverse game, fired wide for Quakers.

Buxton took the lead on 53 minutes after a swift counter attack, staering with a throw by their goalkeeper. They charged up the right, leading to the ball being pulled back to Joe Ackroyd, whose right foot shot was covered by Taylor, but took a deflection off Sukar and looped into the top corner of the net.

Quakers responded when Hazel picked up a pass from Lambert, and fired over the top from an acute angle, and they nearly levelled when Theo Williams setup Hazel just inside the box, but the striker’s shot went just wide.

Nathan Newall then had a penalty shout for handball turned down, before Quakers were awarded a disputed free kick 25 yards out, which Hazel curled around the wall, but the ball struck the left hand post.

Hazel laid off Lambert’s pass for Williams to hit a right foot shot that Richardson touched over the top.

Quakers had penalty appeals turned down in the last minute when Lambert went down in the box when he chased a Rivers knock back.

But in the second minute of stoppage time, Griffiths was tripped in the box and after the Buxton protests were waved away, Liddle smashed the penalty into the roof of the net to secure a deserved point.

Darlington: Taylor, Griffiths, Brookwell, Sukar, Newall (Liddle 90), Purver, Moke, Lambert, Hazel, Williams (sub Mondal 79), Felix (Rivers 79). Subs not used: Rose, Hedley

Buxton: Richardson, Brown, Conway, Granite, Barnett (Clarke 72), Kirby, De Girolamo (Brisley 84), Hull, McCourt, Jackson (Osborne 59), Ackroyd. Subs not used: Moult, Elliott

Attendance: 1,229