Darlington 3 Middlesbrough Under 23s 0

Quakers produced their best performance of pre-season with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Middlesbrough Under 23s.

The fans were treated to come excellent football, with some very good interchanges, good passing, plenty of efforts on goal and three well-worked goals.

Based on this exciting performance, there is plenty to be optimistic about going into the opening away league game at Farsley Celtic this Saturday.

Quakers started the game well. Jarrett Rivers showed plenty of pace and skill on the right and played the ball low into the middle for Adam Campbell to have a shot on the turn saved by former Darlington keeper Zach Hemming.

The tricky Rivers continued to cause problems, and after a neat spin inside the Boro box was brought down by a defender for a penalty, but Stephen Thompson’s penalty was saved by Hemming.

Thommo almost opened the scoring midway through the half when he burst past two defenders and curled a right foot shot towards the bottom corner, but Hemming saved at full stretch.

But Thommo had the last laugh when he made good ground on the left and whipped the ball into the middle, where Rivers turned the ball home.

It was 2-0 on 36 minutes when some good interplay sliced open the Boro defence for Tyrone O’Neill to neatly sidestep two challenges and sidefoot the ball into the net.

And Quakers’ dominance continued on 47 minutes when Rivers fired the third after another good build up.

It could have been more: Hemming pulled off two good saves, and sub Jamie Holmes mad a great run down the right and the keeper made another great save.

Manager Alun Armstrong mad seven subs in the second half, one of whom was defender Josh Heaton, who was given a warm reception on his return to the club as a triallist.

(You can hear what Alun had to say about Josh and the performance in his post-match interview, here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO2ed33JIPQ)

Team: Elliott, Trotman, Liddle, Holness (sub Holliday 80), Laing (sub Heaton 60), Galbraith, Rivers (sub Holmes 60), Hatfield (sub Bascome 60), Campbell (sub Tyrell 80), Thompson (sub Bell 75), O’Neill (sub Donawa 60)

Subs not used: Hall, Wheatley

Middlesbrough :

Hemming, Hood, Robinson, Liddle, Storey, Dale, Folarin, Hackney, Walker, Georgiou, Jones

Subs: Barni, Burrell, Wearne, Gibson, Sykes, Flatters