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Darlington 3 Hereford 0

Scorers: Rivers 38 mins, 1-0, Nelson 64 mins, 2-0, Hazel 88 mins, 3-0

Attednance 1503

Darlington won their first game in seven attempts with a comfortable 3-0 win over Hereford.

Jarrett Rivers set them on their way with a great goal before half time, and after the break, Andrew Nelson and Jacob Hazel added further goals.

Quakers climbed a place up to fifth, three points ahead of eighth placed Gloucester, with three successive away games coming up now against Farsley, Kettering and Banbury.

Here are the reactions from Alun and Nella, who was voted man of the match

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/reaction-to-hereford-win

Quakers won a free kick for a foul on Rivers on the right after 4 minutes, and the Hereford defence just managed to head Ben Hedley’s setpiece away.

Quakers had a penalty shout turned down when Nelson chased Sukar’s long ball into the box and he seemed to be pushed by a defender, but the referee waved Quakers’ appeals away.

Hazel won Quakers’ first corner on 8 minutes but Visser held on to Jarrett Rivers’ inswinger.

A good piece of defensive work by Kaine Felix stopped a Hereford attack down their left, and he won a goal kick in the process, while Jarrett Rivers also made a good interception on the opposite side.

Quakers won another free kick for a foul on Felix on 15 minutes , but Hedley’s free kick was cleared by the first defender.

Quakers had their first real chance on 16 minutes. Hedley got around the back of the defence and fired the ball across the six yard box, where the ball was knocked down for Felix to drag wide of the right hand post.

Hereford won a free kick 30 yards out , but Dan Jarvis fired straight at Tommy Taylor.

A good move down the right by Hereford ended with Jarred Hogkiss firing straight at Taylor, and at the other end, Nathan Newall played the ball back for Nelson to fire wide from the corner of the box.

Quaker won a free kick for a foul on Newall that the defence headed away for a corner. Rivers' corner was headed away by a defender as far as Nelson, whose low effort into the six yard box was turned over the bar by Felix.

Quakers took the lead with a great goal on 38 minutes. A long ball by Sukar was nodded down by Hazel for Rivers to hit a first time right foot shot past Visser into the net, his first league goal of the season.

After Hanson was yellow carded for a late challenge on Felix in front of the dugouts, it was nearly 2-0 when Felix got round the back of the defence and his effort was blocked, and the ball came out for Hazel to set up Hedley, whose left foot shot was deflected wide.

From the corner, Hazel tried his luck from the edge of the box but Visser saved on his line.

Half time 1-0

Quakers started the second half well. Sukar found Newall on the left, and the full back worked his way to the edge of the box where he struck a low shot that Visser saved.

Quakers had a chance on 50 minutes when Hazel dispossessed a defender, ran into the box, but his left footed effort was saved by Visser.

After Purver tried to chip the keeper from the edge of the box, Miles Storey fired over the top for Hereford from a right wing cross.

Quakers missed another good chance on 59 minutes. Felix dribbled past a defender and played a good reverse pass to Hazel, who sidefooted over the top.

Hereford nearly levelled on 63 minutes. A good move by Hereford gave Jarvis a shooting chance that Taylor blocked, and Jarvis follow up was cleared off the line by the alert Jake Cooper.

But Quakers went straight up the other end and went 2-0 up. Nelson found Felix with a great ball out to the right, Felix got into the box and played the ball across for Nelson, who had raced into the six yard box, to mishit the ball with the goal at his mercy, but he recovered quickly enough to force the ball over the line.

Quakers stayed well in control after that, and Nelson was given a loud ovation when he was subbed by Mondal.

Hereford had a half chance on 83 minutes when Storey turned and fired over the top from the edge of the box.

Quakers made it 3-0 on 88 minutes. Purver helped the ball on just on the edge of the box for Liddle, who then flicked it on for Hazel to run through, shrug off a defender, and score with a left foot shot, his 20th goal of the season.

Team: Taylor, Hedley, Cooper, Sukar, Newall, Moke (sub Brookwell 90), Purver, Rivers (sub Liddle 84), Nelson (sub Mondal 71), Hazel, Felix

Subs: Rose, Wheater

Booking: Hazel (80 mins, handball)

Hereford:

Visser, Hodgkiss, McLean (sub Barnett 65), Lloyd, Amadi-Holloway, Storey, Hanson, Jarvis, Holmes (sub Pinchard 65), Andoh, Egan

Subs: Haines, Lilly, Derricott

Booking: Storey