Quakers can go top on goal difference with a win at bottom-of-the-table Padiham on Wednesday, when anything other than victory would be a blow having quickly put the Salford loss behind them.

A week after defeat against their most prominent promotion rivals, Darlington needed an opponent against whom to vent their frustrations.

Quakers were the bloodied boxer, eager to get back in the ring and prove their previous contest was a one-off, and Ossett Town obliged, providing weak resistance as Darlington put in a performance worthy of the scoreline.

It finished 5-0, could’ve been more and, to use a well-worn cliché, if it really were a boxing match it would’ve been stopped early.

Ossett did have a bright spell early in the first half, but Darlington had already landed an early blow by then, Terry Galbraith scoring on six minutes after a swift exchange of passes between Graeme Armstrong and Nathan Cartman.

Gary Brown’s close-range goal just before half-time, getting the last touch after Galbraith delivered following a half-cleared corner, was the match-clinching second.

It meant the second half was cruise as Quakers leapfrogged Northwich Victoria after their defeat at Lancaster City, while Salford’s match was postponed.

“It was a very strong performance and a great reaction to our disappointment of last week,” said manager Martin Gray. “Scoring five goals and keeping a clean sheet was exactly what was asked for.

“It was important to get back to what we’re about and a positive reaction. If someone had said before the game that we were going to win 5-0 we would certainly have taken that.

“We were very strong the longer the game went on. It could’ve been seven, eight, nine or ten.”

As well as keeping a 14th clean sheet of the season, also pleasing was Cartman scoring his first goal for the club, thanks in part to Galbraith’s acquiesce.

He was asked by the Darlington bench to briefly step down from penalty duties, after Graeme Armstrong had been fouled by defender Grant Allott, allowing Cartman to make it 3-0 on 55 minutes.

The longer the second half went on, the more likely Darlington were to open up an Ossett team in retreat.

“Some of our attacking play was great,” added Gray. “I know they didn’t create many problems for us, but we still had to concentrate.

“There’s not many teams in the league with Salford’s quality. You’re not going to come up against a team as good as them every week, but having said that, your focus and concentration is still really important otherwise these sorts of games can trip you up.”

Gray had made a couple of changes, one seeing Brown return to the centre of defence as Chris Hunter was unavailable.

He’s been part of a fantastic partnership with Alan White this season, but the pair were separated on Saturday following Hunter’s wedding the previous day.

“You can see who wears the trousers in that house,” quipped Gray, who will be able to call on Hunter on Wednesday.

“I tried everything to get him to play. I was texting him at midnight last night to try and get him to persuade his wife to let him out for three hours. I would’ve bought her some flowers, but she didn’t let me have him.”

The manager need not have worried. Brown’s switch saw Adam Mitchell play at right-back and he did not look out of place.

Midway through the second half Gray sent on David Dowson as substitute and soon, after being played in by in-form Cartman, he got to the byline to set up Tom Portas to score his first for the club.

“It was nice to see two midfield players score from open play,” added Gray. “There was good build-up in the final play and Galbraith and Portas got on the end of things in the penalty area. They were similar goals.

“It’s good to see midfielders chipping in, because you can’t continually rely on forwards.”

In the dying minutes Brown bagged his second of the game, and fifth of the season, by forcing home at the near post when meeting Mitchell’s corner.

Gray said: “That’s one game put to bed, now we have to prepare for the big game on Wednesday and we’ll treat the match like we have any other.

“We’ve got to go on another good run. Like every team near the top, if you don’t have a good long run then you won’t give yourself a chance of finishing in the top places.

“You can talk about any team you like – Salford, Northwich, any team in the play-offs – but all that is important to us is what we do.”

Goals: Galbraith (6, 1-0), Brown (44, 2-0), Cartman pen (55, 3-0), Portas (66, 4-0), Brown (89, 5-0)

Bookings: Patterson (35, foul), Allott (55, foul); Mota (61, foul), Hatch (81, foul)

Darlington: Jameson; A Mitchell, White, Brown, Watson (Scott 43), Mota, Portas, Galbraith, Thompson, Armstrong (Dowson 63), Cartman (Hatch 68). Subs not used: Bell, Scarr.

Ossett Town: Dixon; Hepworth, Cheeseman, Allott (N Wood 56), Jeff (Pashley 87); Akeroyd (Whiteley 76), Curtis, Patterson, Merris; C Wood, Armstrong. Subs not used: Backhouse

Match report courtesy of Northern Echo.