Quakers beaten at home by Telford
By Ray Simpson
Sousa goal not enough
Check out our half time roll on Quaker TV
Darlington 1 AFC Telford United 2
Oswell 6 mins, 0-1, Sousa 23 mins, 1-1, McHale 51 mins 1-2
Quakers were beaten by a second half goal, which means that they are still without a home league win this season.
They played some good attractive football in the first half to get back to 1-1, but they didn't threaten the Telford defence with their pace in the second half anywhere near as much as they did in the first.
At 1-1, they wasted some chances to take the lead, and in the second half Telford sat back and made it difficult for Quakers to break them down.
Will Hatfield on his return to the side, had the game’s first effort in the first minute, when he picked up a pass from Erico Sousa and hit a left foot shot that took a deflection and was easily held by keeper Russ Griffiths.
Quakers won a corner on the left in the 5th minute that was curled in by Sousa and headed out of play a defender, but the ref gave a goal kick instead.
Telford took the lead on 6 minutes when Jordan Davies crossed low from the right into the middle, and even though he had his back to goal, Jason Oswell was able to take a touch, turn and fire into the roof of the net.
Quakers had a chance on 14 minutes when Hatfield’s low shot from a Jarrett Rivers corner was blocked, and Alex Storey, off balance, put the rebound over the bar from ten yards.
There was a good build up involving Ben Hedley and Rivers to give Campbell a shooting chance on 21 minutes, but Griffiths saved one handed low down to his right, and in Quakers' next attack, Rivers fired over the top from a Sousa pass.
Quakers pressure paid off on 23 minutes when Campbell played in Sousa, who beat the oncoming Griffiths for his first goal for the club.
Sousa went looking for a second, and his 25 yard left foot shot was deflected for a corner.
Quakers nearly went 2-1 up when Hatfield’s free kick from 30 yards out was headed away by the Telford defence for Campbell to volley narrowly over the top.
On 33 minutes, Campbell nearly broke through with a low shot that went just past the left hand post, and a minute later, Rivers dribbled in from the right but fired straight at Griffiths.
Jonny Saltmer made his first save of the match on 38 minutes, stretching high to his right to fist away a 25 yard free kick by Davies.
Half time
Darlington 1 AFC Telford United 1
Saltmer came to Quakers rescue on on 49 minutes when Oswell’s shot was partly blocked by Storey and the ball ran for Davies, who had time to control the ball and pick his spot, but Saltmer saved well.
But Telford went in front on 51 minutes when a cross from the left was nodded down by Oswell for Dominic McHale to control, wrong foot the Darlington defence and fire into the bottom left hand corner.
Quakers made a sub on 63 minutes, Dan Maguire coming on for Campbell.
They nearly levelled on 67 minutes. Rivers was fouled about 25 yards out in a central position, and Liddle curled the ball over the wall only for Griffiths to push the ball out for a corner.
But Telford contained Quakers , and the next time Quakers had a chance was on 86 minutes when Hatfield crossed for Storey to head just wide from six yards and in the last minute there was a goalmouth scramble which ended with Griffiths saving on his line.
Final score:
Darlington 1 AFC Telford United 2
Team: Saltmer, Hedley, Laing, Storey, Liddle, Hatfield, Atkinson (sub Holness 74), Reid, Rivers, Sousa, Campbell (sub Maguire 64),
Subs: Minter, Hudson, McMahon
Telford;
Griffiths, Vaughan, Streete, Sutton (White 73), Jones, Walker, Lilly, McHale (sub Hardy 79), Oswell, Davies, Bond
Subs: Rawlins, Williams, Barnes-Homer