Chorley 5 Darlington 2

Taylor 8 mins 1-0, Clarke 42 mins 2-0, Hazlehurst 45 mins 3-0, 55 mins 4-0, Rutledge 74 mins 4-1, Rutledge 80 mins 4-2, Sampson 85 mins 5-2

Darlington never recovered from an 8th minute goal, and were beaten at Victory Park.

The first half was best forgotten, with Chorley scoring three before half time as Quakers struggled, and after the home side went 4-0 up before the hour, Quakers launched a brief revival,  scoring twice. But just when it seemed an unlikely point was on the horizon, Chorley scored a fifth.

Jonah Lowes got around the back of the Chorley defence on the left in the second minute, and won a corner. He swung the ball into the middle, and Ciaran Thompson poked the ball over the bar.

Then Ethan Fitzhugh also made ground up the left and pulled the ball back for Mark Beck, whose left shot was blocked for a corner.

When that came over from the right from Paddy McLaughlin, Beck glanced the ball over the bar.

Chorley took the lead on 8 minutes. The ball was chipped into the Darlington box from the right, and Elliott Taylor glanced the ball in from ten yards.

The home side went looking for a second, and Atkinson to did well to head away a teasing cross from the right at the far post.

Then Adam Blakeman fired straight at Bobby Jones from 25 yards.

Quakers lost possession in midfield and Taylor broke away, but Jones just got his right hand to his low shot.

Adam Blakeman had a 25 yard free kick deflected over the bar , and then Harvey Smith saw a header deflected over.

The home side went 2-0 up on 40 minutes when Max Wilson crossed deep from the right for Warren Clarke to rise high and head past Jones.

Quakers then conceded a penalty for a foul by THompson, but Jones did well to save Hazlehurst’s spot kick by diving to his right, and then saving the follow up.

But there was no let up, and Chorley scored a third when Hazlehurst controlled a ball in from the right and fired past Jones.

Half time Chorley 3 Darlington 0

Quakers made three subs at half time, with Ben Hedley, Brad Walker and Dylan Stephenson coming on for Thompson, Pye and Henson

They'd hardly been on the field when Chorley played a free kick into the box for Hazlehurst to fire across Jones into the net for the fourth on 55 minutes.

Quakers used all their subs on the hour mark, when Aidan Rutledge and Ellis Stanton came on for Ethan Fitzhugh and Sam Hetherington.

Chorley continued to threaten, and Wilson hit the outside of the post with a right foot shot, then Jones saved from Taylor.

They nearly pulled one back when Atkinson crossed from the right, and Stowell nearly turned the ball into his own goal.

They broke through on 74 minutes when Rutledge headed in from a left wing corner.

They nearly got another when Stephenson crossed low from the right for Beck to have an effort deflected over.

They broke through again on 79 minutes when McLaughlin crossed from the right for Rutledge to head the ball across the keeper and into the net.

But the revival was killed off when Jack Sampson pounced on a poor back pass and beat Jones with a left foot shot with five minutes left

To make matters worse for Quakers, Rutledge was shown his second yellow late in the game.

Final: Chorley 5 Darlington 2

Jones, Thompson (sub Walker 46), Lees, Atkinson, Pye (Sub Hedley 46), McLaughlin, Lowes, Hetherington (sub Stanton 60), Fitzhugh (sub Rutledge 60), Henson (sub Stepehnson 46), Beck

Subs: Wilkinson, Mason

Bookings: Lowes 30 mins Thompson 40 mins foul, rutledge 72 mins foul, Rutledge 90 mins, foul