Graeme Armstrong’s header after only 35 seconds proved to the difference in the crunch encounter, though they were made to work hard for the points and there were some nervy moments.

Spennymoor pushed hard for an equaliser looked likely to get it in a performance which manager Jason Ainsley believed was Town’s best in their meetings with Quakers since the beginning of the 2012-13 season.

Only some top saves by Peter Jameson two goal-line clearances preserved Darlington’s lead.

Manager Martin Gray did little to play down the importance of the victory, which means Quakers have now won ten in a row in league and FA Trophy while their lead at the top of the table is three points.

His side beat Town 2-0 in August, and Gray said: “To do the double over a strong Spennymoor side – and they were really good tonight – and get six points before Christmas against a team that will be contending for promotion is magnificent, especially against your local rivals.

“You talk about desire, having the right mentality. The energy levels and desire not to concede, that’s what we build our club on – that toughness and workrate.

“Jameson made some really good saves. He hasn’t had much to do lately, but that’s what he’s there to do, that’s what he’s paid for and his performance was good as any of the outfield players. It had to be.

“But at the other end we hit the wood work three times and they should’ve had a man sent off when Shane Henry fouled Mitchell.”

With fireworks lighting up the sky on Bonfire Night, Darlington got the highly-charged game off to an explosive start, taking the lead with only 35 seconds gone.

It was their kick-off, Tom Portas launching the ball to the left side of the pitch where right-back Kallum Griffiths conceded a corner, taken by Adam Mitchell whose delivery to the near post was headed home by Armstrong.

Ainsley said: “We got off to an horrendous start. We told the players that Darlington’s strength is from set-plays, and look what happened in the first minute.”

Armstrong’s 11th goal of the season, his third against Spennymoor, warmed up the supporters on a chilly night at Heritage Park and was the perfect start for Darlington.

Moors, though, should have levelled within five minutes, unmarked Andrew Stephenson lifting the ball over the bar.

Both teams had their chances in a lively first half which Darlington shaded, the hosts coming closest when Mitchell beat keeper Adam McHugh from 20 yards, but his shot rebounded off the post, while Leon Scott and Armstrong were both off target with efforts from the edge of the penalty area.

Jameson made his first key intervention when he spread himself to save at close-range from Joe Tait after Alan White lost his man when defending a corner.

Ex-Darlington defender Tait curled a free-kick well wide, to jeers from his former fans behind the goal.

Also in the Spennymoor team was striker Nathan Fisher, who joined from Quakers in October, after being given a surprise start, but he struggled to make an impact and was withdrawn on the hour.

Darlington made a sloppy start to the second half, leading to skipper Gary Brown clearing off the goal-line after a header by Chris Mason, but the pressure continued.

Quakers were under the cosh and Fisher’s replacement, Anthony Peacock, tested Jameson with his first touch, the keeper tipping over and he then dived to his right to push over a Mason shot before Watson cleared a Tait header off the line.

One of Jameson’s best saves prevented White from scoring an extraordinary own goal.

The defender headed low and powerfully towards the bottom corner, but his team-mate got down low to save his blushes.

Darlington may have rode their luck, but perhaps they earned it having worked so hard to protect their lead.

And they would have been playing against ten men had Shane Henry been sent off when denying Mitchell a goalscoring opportunity, escaping with a yellow after chopping him down as he was about to shoot.

They were almost dead on their feet as referee Christopher Ellis played five tense minutes of injury time, before blowing the whistle on a compelling contest.

After suffering only a second league away defeat, Ainsley was left to reflect on a frustrating night.

“I thought we dominated the game in the second half,” he said. “Peter Jameson was the man of the match, he pulled off two worldies and we had two cleared off the line. We put some very good balls into their box. We deserved to get at least a point out of the game.

“The game was very open in the first half, and Darlington shaded it. But I thought our game-plan of playing three up front worked, and Michael Roberts caused them all sorts of problems. I thought we silenced their crowd in the second half with some great play and the chances we had, and Darlington were hanging on at the end.

“It was a travesty that we didn’t get something from the game, but we came up against a keeper in top form.”

Match report courtesy of the Northern Echo.