Quakers forced to settle for a point
By Ray Simpson
Denied by late equaliser
Darlington 2 Brackley 2
Goal: Rose 13 mins 1-0, Beck 43 mins 2-0, Stead 50 mins, 2-1, Sukar 89 og 2-2
Attendance 1710
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A goal just a minute from the end of normal time denied Quakers their seventh straight league win at Blackwell Meadows.
Quakers led 2-0 at half time and looked in control, but Brackley regrouped at half time, and a goal five minutes after the restart gave them the momentum in the second half, and they equalised with a touch of good fortune, near the end.
Quakers led courtesy of Danny Rose's first goal for the club, with Mark Beck adding the second from the spot just before the break.
Here are the goals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1zbram3Yw
Neverthess, Quakers are still joint top of the table, and are unbeaten in their last eight league matches.
Brackley had a short corner in the first minute, the ball was crossed to the far post for Adam Rooney to volley wide at the far post, then Brackley moved forward again and Callum Stead curled the ball just wide of the right hand post.
Brackley then had a goal disallowed by Jordan Cullinane-Liburd for a push.
Quakers had their first effort on 10 minutes when Kaine Felix crossed from the right for Mark Beck, six yards out to get in a twisting header that Danny Lewis saved on the line.
Quakers took the lead on 13 minutes. Jake Lawlor hoisted a free kick into the box for Mark Beck to head down for Kaine Felix to have a shot blocked by Lewis, and the ball looped into the air for Danny Rose to volley first time into the net -- his first goal for the club.
They nearly had a second, when Beck headed down a Jack Lambert free kick, and Jassem Sukar was just denied ten yards out.
Brackley tried to respond with a long throw by George Carline -- his third so far in the game -- but Quakers’ defence got the ball away at the near post.
The game was fairly even after that, with both teams making little impact with free kicks.
Quakers were awarded a penalty after 43 minutes when Felix was tripped by Riccardo Calder just inside the area, and Mark Beck tucked the spot kick into the bottom right hand corner – his 12th of the season.
Half time 2-0
Brackley started the second half in the same manner as the first. A corner came over from the right that Adam Rooney headed over the bar.
And they pulled a goal back on 50 minutes when Cosmos Matwasa helped the ball on in the box, Callum Stead turned quickly on the ball in the box and slotted the ball into the bottom left hand corner -- the first goal that Quakers had conceded in four league games.
Quakers then successfully withstood a long period of pressure from Brackley, and gained a free kick on 65 minutes which Jack Lambert put over the bar.
Brackley won a free kick 25 yards out for a foul by Lawlor 74 minutes, so Quakers brought everybody back, and the ball was blocked by the wall.
Brackley won a corner on 81 minutes after Liddle came on for Rose, and Beck was in the right place to head the ball away.
But Brackley levelled with a minute left. Matwasa found Stead, whose shot was blocked by Taylor, but the ball rebounded off Sukar into the net.
Full time 2-2
Taylor, Dodds, Lawlor, Sukar, Hedley, Rose (sub Liddle 79), Purver, Lambert (sub Rivers 74), Beck, Hazel, Felix
Subs: Moke, Mondal, Barbosa
Brackley: Lewis, Carline, Walker, Armison (sub Woods 46), Cullinane-Liburd, Dean, Calder (Matwasa 46), Murombedzi, Rooney, Stead, York (sub Flanagan 86)
Subs: Richards, Lopes, Flanagan,