Darlington 1 Ashton United 1

A stoppage time equaliser by Ashton sub Eddie Toner denied Quakers all three points and ended their win of six straight wins.

Quakers were below their best, but nevertheless took the lead through sub Tom Portas seven minutes from time,  but Ashton sub Eddie Toner equalised in stoppage time.

Liam Hardy nearly scored after 2 minutes when Adam Mitchell played the ball into the box and Hardy seemed second favourite to reach the ball, but he stretched quickly forward, got his right foot on to the ball and forced a block from Ashton keeper Paul Phillips.

Quakers had a let off after 9 minutes , when Jay Gorton put in a diving header from a right wing free kick that Peter Jameson pushed around the post, then when the corner came over from the left, Gorton’s low right foot shot was blocked by Terry Galbraith on the line.

Quakers nearly took the lead on 19 minutes when Hardy almost pounced on a poor back pass, keeper Phillips struck his clearance against Hardy and the ball nearly went out of play for a goal kick. Hardy just kept the ball in, made space for himself, but with nobody else in an open position, fired at the keeper at the near post.

Quakers had another half chance on 26 minutes when the ball dropped to Phil Turnbull about 25 yards out, but his left foot volley went a couple of yards wide.

Quakers had another let off on 29 minutes when Gorton had a shot charged down, and in the scramble that followed, Kevin Burgess tried to clear his lines with an overhead kick, but instead the ball struck the ball against his own crossbar.

And Ashton had another chance when Pilkington, unmarked six yards out, headed a right wing cross straight into Jameson’s hands.

But Quakers went up the other end and almost scored, when Galbraith’s through ball found Hardy, who at full stretch beat the keeper to the ball, but it struck the post and went out for a goal kick.

[caption id="attachment_17910" align="alignnone" width="300"] Liam Hardy at full stretch[/caption]

Half time

Darlington 0 Ashton United 0

Don't forget about the man of the match vote after the game.

Quakers nearly took the lead at the start of the second half, when Terry Galbraith nodded down a Chris Hunter free kick for Lee Gaskell, with his back to goal, to turn into the keeper’s hands.

Thompson then beat a man in midfield and tried his luck with a 25 yarder that Phillips saved low down.

Quakers made a substitution, Gaskell coming off for Armstrong, then Burgess was booked for pushing an opponents

Cartman came on for Hardy, then Portas for Mitchell as Quakers struggled to break Ashton down.

[caption id="attachment_17911" align="alignnone" width="300"] Nathan Cartman[/caption]

But the breakthrough finally came on 82 minutes, the ball was hoisted into the Ashton box causing a huge scramble, and eventually the ball fell for Tom Portas to force home.

[caption id="attachment_17912" align="alignnone" width="300"] Tom Portas is under that pile of players somewhere[/caption]

But Quakers lost possession about midway inside their own half, and Eddie Toner ran through and slotted the ball past Jameson.

In stoppage time, Cartman had a shot blocked by Phillips, and Armstrong put the rebound over the top.

Darlington: Jameson, Hunter, Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Mitchell (sub Portas 67), Scott, Gaskell (sub Armstrong 57), Hardy (sub Cartman 65), Thompson

Subs: Provett, Cartman, Nowakowski

Booking: Scott (foul), Burgess (foul)

Ashton United:

Phillips, Coo, Mason, Gorton, Connor, Lees, King, Gee, Pilkington, Johnson (sub Toner 78), Morning (sub Chadwick 67)

Subs: Baguley, Haining, Wharton,

Booking: King

Attendance 961

Referee: Matthew Dicicco