Terry Galbraith was called on to play at centre-back, the midfielder playing alongside Alan White, and he grew into the match as Quakers stretched their undefeated run to 12 matches.

Ten of those have been wins, today’s coming after fighting back from going a goal down with only four minutes gone.

Striker Alastair Waddecar latched on to a high ball by right-back Matt Mahoney from halfway which landed beyond Galbraith, the Brig striker turning on the corner of the penalty area and lofting the ball over the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Peter Jameson.

It was a fine finish and in keeping with the Lancashire side’s strong start to the game.

They came into today’s match having won their past five league matches, while Quakers had had an enforced winter break due to two games being postponed.

They looked rusty in the early stages, but grew into the contest and levelled on 16 minutes, Graeme Armstrong netting after good work by Amar Purewal and Stephen Thompson.

Purewal took the ball down the left and played the ball into Thompson, who was excellent in the first half, and although his dribble into the penalty area was brought to an abrupt end, and would surely have been awarded a penalty, the ball broke to Armstrong to tap home.

His 12th goal of the season was soon almost followed by a 13th, the striker denied a second strike of the day when his shot was cleared off the line by Brig right-back Matt Mahoney.

Although the pitch was heavy and churned up easily, Darlington looking good going forward, Thompson causing problems for the hosts, while the withdrawal through injury of Brig’s Paul McKenna, the former Preston midfielder, was surely a factor in Quakers’ improvement.

Quakers had strong penalty appeals turned down when Thompson was clearly held back after collecting an Ian Watson throw, but within 60 seconds they were ahead anyway with Purewal scoring a wonderful individual goal.

After Armstrong's forward pass, he collected possession inside the opposition half and ran at the defence, cut in from the left by putting a defender on his backside and then showing composure to execute a curling finish inside the far post.

The 41st minute goal gave Darlington an advantage they rarely looked like extending during a scrappy second half.

Bamber Bridge had the better of it, Quakers having to soak up pressure.

At the break Darlington had made a change, right-back Josh Nearney replaced by man in the mask Jordan Robinson, who wore a protective mask having recently recovered from a fractured cheekbone.

He was part of what was a shaky defence at the start of second half. Brig’s Stuart Vasey twice wasted chances, taking an extra touch in the penalty area cost him, allowing Jameson to close him down.

David Dowson had a good chance, almost rounding the keeper, after he had replaced Armstrong, while the final change saw Adam Cocks on for Thompson, leaving French winger Nelson Mota still awaiting his debut.

Brig increased the tempo in the closing stages, throwing bodies forward and putting Jameson under extreme pressure, the goalkeeper dealing well with a number of high balls into the penalty area, though the hosts came close to an equaliser through Vasey.

He fired a 20-yard effort narrowly over the bar on 87 minutes, at a stage when Darlington were still to register their first shot of the second half.

At the beginning of injury time, however, Purewal was one-on-one after a Tom Portas pass, but shot was tipped wide by the keeper.

The shot looked like being the last incident of a competitive game between two sides that reached the play-offs last season, but referee Mike Astley decided to play over four excruciating minutes of injury time during which the ball pinged around Darlington’s penalty area. Nervous moments for the visitors.

But Astley eventually blew the whistle on a 2-1, though they remain second as Northwich Victoria also won today.

Darlington’s next match is at home to Radcliffe Borough next Saturday.

Goals: Waddecar (4, 1-0); Armstrong (16, 1-1), Purewal (41, 1-2)

Bookings: Kay (30, foul); Scott (45, foul); Portas (75, foul); Mahoney (89, foul)

Referee: Mark Astley

Bamber Bridge (4-4-2): Campbell, Mahoney, Bowyer (Green 46), Lawlor, Steel, Kay, Wiles, McKenna (Pickup 25), Vasey, Waddecar, Marlow (Bell 73). Subs (not used): Doughty, Alexander

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson; Nearney (Robinson 46), White, Galbraith, Watson; A Mitchell, Scott, Portas, Thompson (Cocks 78); Purewal, Armstrong (Dowson 56). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Mota

Match report courtesy of the Northern Echo.