Darlington 2 Gainsborough 1

Lambert 16 mins, 1-0, James 33 mins 1-1, Donawa 69 mins, 2-1

Attendance 770

Justin Donawa came off the bench to score the winner and put Quakers into the first round of the FA Trophy.

Donawa played for Bermuda against Mexico last weekend and only arrived back in this country on Friday, but he showed no ill-effects from his arduous journey to put Quakers into the hat on Monday lunchtime.

Quakers started the game well enough, but as their legs tired, Gainsborough came back into the game and looked as if they might earn a replay at one point.

Gainsborough had the first chance, when Billy Chadwick turned quickly inside the box and struck a low left foot shot that Elliott saved easily.

Quakers went up the other end and nearly scored. Stephen Thompson crossed to the far post where Adam Campbell brought the ball down, sidestepped a defender, and curled a right foot shot that Allinson saved.

And Quakers nearly scored on 11 minutes when Campbell nodded a right wing cross down for Jarrett Rivers to have a shot deflected wide.

Thompson then got round the back of the defence and tried to set up Lambert, but a defender just managed to intercept.

Quakers took the lead on 16 minutes, when Thompson flicked on a through ball by Hatfield for Jack Lambert  to run through and place the ball into the bottom corner.

Thompson nearly made it 2-0, when he controlled a diagonal 40 yard pass from Hedley, and his shot was deflected just over the top.

Lambert then had a shot from 25 yards deflected wide.

But Trinity levelled on 33 minutes, when a low shot by Curtis Morrison was parried by Elliott, and Kingsley James knocked in the loose ball.

Quakers tried to hit back with a corner that Rivers played short to Hedley, who fired wide of the left hand post.

Half time:

Darlington 1 Gainsborough 1

At the start of the second half, Hedley put a right foot shot wide after being set up by Campbell, but at the other end, Elliott had to save at the foot of his post from Morrison.

Thompson then found Hedley on the right, and the full back’s cross was deflected into the keeper’s hands, then Rivers got to the bye line and put in a teasing cross that nobody could get on the end of.

Rivers then forced a full length save out of Allinson with a shot from the edge of the box.

However, Elliott had to make another good save when James set up Morrison inside the box, and the keeper just managed to push his effort around the post.

Thompson had a shot charged down from a free kick, before Quakers went back in front on 69 minutes.

A long clearance by Elliott was helped on by Thompson for sub Justin Donawa to pick up, run through and beat Allison with a low shot for his fourth goal of the season.

Campbell nearly got another when he burst through on the end of a Thompson pass, but his shot struck the underside of the bar.

Donawa popped up in a central position and struck a low shot that Allison saved.

But Quakers had a late let off when Thornton chested a free kick down in the box, and with the goal at his mercy, pulled the ball wide.

Final score: Darlington 2 Gainsborough 1

Darlington: 

Darlington: Elliott, Hedley, Liddle, Holness (sub Bascome 56), Storey, Galbraith, Rivers (sub Donawa 56), Hatfield, Campbell, Lambert (sub Laing 83),  Thompson

Subs:

 Watson, Armstrong, Hurworth

Gainsborough:

Allison, Williamson (sub Litchfield 80), Horton, Middleton (sub Clarke 61), Thornton, Maguire, Morrison, James, Allott, Chadwick (sub King 90), Russell

Subs: Green, Litchfield,

Booking: Maguire