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Match report

Darlington 2 Ashton United 1

Nelson (39 mins 1-0) (83 mins 2-0) Tomsett (87 mins, 2-1)

Attendance 1407

Andrew Nelson took his tally to six in just four games for Quakers with an absolute beauty to help Quakers to back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Nelson scored a very strong contender for goal of the season in the second half, which earned huge cheers and applause from all round the ground. 

Many thought that Jordan Nicholson's goal at Altrincham was top quality, but Nelson's effort has surpassed it.

Quakers won a corner after 4 minutes, which was curled in by Romal Palmer, but Hughes couldn’t get a clean header on the ball and Ashton cleared.
Then in Quakers’ next attack, Nelson set up Nicholson, whose left foot shot went just over the top.

Andrew Nelson picked the ball up on the left side of the Ashton box and tried a snapshot that a defender just managed to clear for a corner a couple of yards out.
Hughes then played a 50 yard ball out of defence up the left for Nelson to cross into the middle, and Saunders put in a header that Pilling saved to his right.

Ashton threatened on 19 minutes when Matthew Chadwick stepped inside a challenge in the box and struck a right foot shot that Hughes headed away for a corner.

Quakers hit back and had a chance on 36 minutes when Nelson got round the back and chipped the ball into the middle for Saunders come racing in and head wide.
Quakers took the lead on 38 minutes, when Nelson picked up a loose ball inside the Ashton defence, ran on, and neatly lifted the ball over the advancing keeper for his fifth goal in four games.

It was nearly 2-0 on 43 minutes when Trotman and Nicholson combined well on the right and set up Elliott, and he struck a left foot shot that Pilling saved at full stretch.

Half time

Darlington 1 Ashton United 0.

Quakers nearly got a second on 56 minutes when Romal Palmer picked the ball up in midfield, ran forward, and hit a low left foot shot that Pilling saved well.

Then Saunders chased the ball into the box past a defender, and forced Pilling into a good save from a tight angle.

Quakers got a free kick for a foul on Trotman about 30 yards out, but Hughes put the ball over the top.
Ben O’Hanlon and Nelson played a 1-2 up the left that ended with O’Hanlon firing just wide.

Quakers nearly finished the game off on 82 minutes when they broke quickly from defence when Nelson set up Saunders, who beat the keeper but the bal lwent wide

The ground erupted on 83 minutes with an absolute gem from Nelson. He picked the ball up on the half way line, charged forward away from a challenge, and unleashed a blistering shot that flew past the keeper into the net.

However, Ashton pulled a goal back with a header by Tomsett at the far post from a wayward left foot shot to cause some anxious moments late in the game, but Quakers defended well.

In fact they nearly got another when sub Alex Henshall broke away, but pulled his left foot shot wide of the post.

Maddison, Trotman, Smith, Hughes, Galbraith, O'Hanlon, Elliott, Palmer, Nicholson (sub Thompson 70), Nelson, Saunders (sub Henshall 84)

Subs:  Wollerton,  Burn, Kokolo

Booking: Galbraith, O’Hanlon

Ashton: Pilling, Chalmers (sub Martin 14), Askew, Jones, Regan, Kay, Tomsett, Goulding, Chadwick, Sheridan (sub Ennis 68), Anghel (sub Hill 54),

Subs: Roberts, Crowther