Darlington 3 Matlock 0

[caption id="attachment_17278" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lee Gaskell[/caption]

Lee Gaskell scored a typical spectacular goal as Quakers recorded their fourth straight win and put then two points behind third placed Salford.

Gaskell took his tally for the season to 11 league goals with a magnificent second goal to add to his collection.

Quakers had the first chance in the third minute when Stephen Thompson was tripped just outside the area, but Adam Mitchell curled the free kick over the top, then Mitchell had another setpiece out on the left which he curled into the six yard box, but Terry Galbraith headed wide.

Kevin Burgess conceded a corner on 10 minutes, but the flag kick by former Darlo player Craig Nelthorpe was headed away.

Terry Galbraith had Quakers’ first shooting chance with a 30 yarder which went along the ground straight at George Willis.

Quakers took the lead on 16 minutes. Galbraith forced a corner off an inswinging free kick from the right, and when the ball came in from Mitchell, Galbraith’s header was blocked, but Gary Brown, who had been limping only seconds previously, was on hand to force the ball home.

Matlock had a half chance to equalise when the ball came out to Ben Algar on the edge of the Darlington area, but his left foot half volley was saved low down to his right by Peter Jameson.

Both Darlington full backs, Chris Hunter and Galbraith, were always willing to be involved, and both of them put in dangerous crosses, which neither Nathan Cartman nor Lee Gaskell could take advantage of.

Quakers nearly got a second on 36 minutes. A dangerous free kick in a central position 35 yards out from Galbraith found Brown, but his towering header deflected just wide off a defender.

Mitchell almost fired a second, when he jinked past a defender inside the area and hit an angled shot that Willis palmed away, and in Quakers next attack Stephen Thompson steamed forward and fired just over the top.

[caption id="attachment_17277" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lee Gaskell in first half action[/caption]

Half time 1-0

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Quakers’ first chance of the half came when Turnbull found Mitchell racing down the right, and the winger crossed for Cartman to head a few yards wide.

Matlock spurned a great chance to equalise on 58 minutes when a quick turn by Joel Purkiss left Brown trailing, but Jameson timed his dash off his line perfectly to block his low shot.

Lee Gaskell scored a superb second on 63 minutes. With his back to goal, he turned two defenders with some clever footwork, then exquisitely chipped the ball over Willis into the top corner.

It was nearly 3-0 on 67 minutes, when another Galbraith free kick caused confusion and bounced off the post, and neither Brown nor Burgess could force the ball home.

Sub Tom Portas, on for Mitchell missed a one-on-one when he won possession from a defender and raced through, but Willis saved well, then another sub Graeme Armstrong fired high over the bar from the edge of the box.

Quakers made it 3-0 in stoppage time when Thompson fired across the face of goal, and Galbraith came racing in at the far post and scored with a left foot shot .

Goals: Brown (16 mins, 1-0), Gaskell (63 mins, 2-0), Galbraith (90 mins+3, 3-0)

Darlington:

Jameson, Hunter, Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Mitchell (sub Portas 67), Scott, Gaskell (sub Armstrong 76), Cartman (sub Dowson 71), Thompson

Subs: Provett, Nowakowski

Bookings: Galbraith (foul),

Matlock:

Willis, Harcourt, Nelthorpe, Wilson (sub Cribley 55)), Yates, Burgin, Travis, Needham, Purkiss (sub Dawes 69), McManus (sub Gaughan 79), Algar

Subs: Holland, Gascoigne, Gaughan.

Bookings: Wilson (foul) Nelthorpe (foul)

Attendance 916

Referee: Tony Peart

Matchfacts (thanks to Mark Adams)

First half

Shots on target: 5-2

Shots off target: 4-0

Offside 0-2

Corners: 2-3

Throw ins 17-27

Fouls committed: 5-9

Yellow cards: 0-0

Red cards: 0-0

Second half

Shots on target: 5-1

Shots off target: 3-1

Offside 2-3

Corners: 1-1

Throw ins 10-12

Fouls committed: 7-7

Yellow cards: 1-2

Red cards: 0-0

Premier Division

P          W        D         L          F          A         PTS     GD

Blyth                                       30        21        3          6          56        29        66        +27

Workington                             30        18        7          5          52        30        61        +22

Salford City                            29        17        6          6          56        29        57        +27

Darlington                             26        17        4          5          56        25        55        +31

Ashton United                         27        15        6          6          58        34        51        +24

Barwell                                    31        16        3          12        58        50        51        +8

Stourbridge                             28        15        5          8          57        43        50        +14

Nantwich                                30        13        9          8          67        43        48        +24

Rushall Olympic                     28        12        9          7          50        33        45        +17

Frickley                                   29        12        8          9          45        35        44        +10