Darlington 1 Gloucester 1

Smalley 33 mins 0-1, Hatfield 72 mins, 1-1

Attendance 1325

Stats -- thanks to our data analyst Alex Jenkins:

Possession: Darlington 72% Gloucester 28%

Attempts on goal: 14/7

Shots on target: 4/3

Final third entries: 47/12

Corners 7/2

Throw ins: 24/20

Free kicks awarded: 9/18

The first game of the Josh Gowling era saw Quakers come from behind to pick up a point.

Quakers started the game perhaps too cautiously and went behind to a goal by Dominic Smalley, but the tempo increased after half time. Will Hatfield levelled from the spot, and he was denied the winner in stoppage time by a great save from the Gloucester keeper.

Here's the reaction of Josh, Will and Jassem Sukar

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/reaction-to-draw-with-gloucester-city

Quakers won the first corner of the game on 5 minutes. Will Hatfield curled the ball in from the left for Tom Platt to head wide.

Quakers put together a good move on the left which ended with Sukar having a shot blocked inside the area.

They had a penalty shout turned down on 19 minutes when Hazel tried to latch on to a Salkeld pass in the area and went down under a challenge from Jeacock, but the flag was already up for offside.

At this point, Quakers were steadily gaining in confidence as they got used to a new system of three centre halves.

Gloucester won their first corner on 20 minutes, but Adriano Moke got the ball away at the near post.

Quakers won a free kick on the right on 23 minutes which Hatfield curled into the middle, and Platt headed over from ten yards.

Salkeld made a great run up the left on 29 minutes past two defenders, and his pull back was just to o far ahead of Hazel.

Gloucester took the lead on 33 minutes. Kornell McDonald won the ball in midfield, and slipped it through for Dominic Smalley to fire into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Tom Platt nearly levelled on 38 minutes when he picked the ball up in midfield, and his right foot shot took a deflection and flew just over the bar.

Barnes then picked the ball up on the right, moved inside, and fired over the top.

Quakers nearly scored just on half time when Barnes curled a free kick over from the right for Platt to have a header saved under the bar.

Half time 0-1

The second half started with a free kick from Hatfield which was deflected out for a throw in on the opposite side of the field.

Quakers nearly scored on 50 minutes. Moke found Griffiths with a great crossfield pass, and he put the ball into the box for Hazel to fire straight at Jeacock.

However, Gloucester nearly got a second when Quakers lost the ball in midfield, and Smalley raced clear, but Taylor denied him with a full length save to his left.

Quakers made their first sub on 61 minutes when Andrew Nelson went on for Barnes, then Ben Liddle went on for Moke on 67 minutes.

The home side had a chance when Salkeld found Hazel in the box but the keeper blocked his shot, and then a defender was in the right place to stop Salkeld’s follow up.

Quakers got a penalty on 71 minutes when Hatfield played a 1-2 with Hazel and was brought down. He picked himself up and scored from the spot.

Nelson fired a great ball across the box without anyone getting on the end of it, although he got a corner out of it. The setpiece came out to Salkeld, whose right foot shot went over the top.

There was a half chance when Nelson crossed from the right, a defender missed it, but Hazel couldn’t capitalise behind him, and again when Windass crossed from the left, and Griffiths and Hazel couldn’t get on the end of it.

Quakers won a stoppage time corner but the ball was headed away.

Quakers nearly won it when Hazel laid the ball off for Hatfield, who hit a left foot shot that Jeacock pushed around the post

Final score 1-1

Taylor, Lees, Sukar, Lawlor, Griffiths, Salkeld (sub Windass 76), Platt, Moke (sub Liddle 67), Hatfield, Barnes (sub Nelson 61), Hazel

Subs: Hedley, Rivers

Booking: Moke. Liddle

Gloucester

Jeacock, Ram, Durrell, Parker, McGrory, Pinchard, Hanks, Richards-Everton, Emmett, Smalley, McDonald

Subs: Duffus, Sloane, Bennett, Mustoe, Armstrong