Darlington 1 Merthyr Town 1

Attendance 1248

Goals: Pearson (45+1 mins) 1-0 Rutledge (90+3 mins) 1-1

A stoppage time equaliser by Aidan Rutledge rescued a point for injury-hit Quakers. 

Just when the injury list seemed to be easing, two centre halves went off injured in the space of ten minutes, Toby Lees and then his replacement, Brad Walker.  It meant that Ciaran Thompson had to play at centre half.

Merthyr took the lead just on half time and defended doggedly until Rutledge headed the equaliser.

There was a stiff breeze blowing across the pitch at the start of the game, which both teams tried to adapt to in the opening exchanges.

There was a burst down the right by Hayden Atkinson which raised encouragement, but Paddy McLaughlin was dispossessed in the middle when he got the ball.

There was an injury scare for Quakers on 10 minutes when Toby Lees went down injured, but after treatment was able to resume.

Quakers had the first chance on 14 minutes when Ethan Fitzhugh’s cross from the left was cleared as far as McLaughlin, whose return right foot into the wind, went over the bar.

Quakers then won a corner when Jacob Hazel set up Ellis Stanton, but the ball was whipped off his toes.

When a Darlington attack almost broke down on the edge of the box, Mark Beck set up McLaughlin, who fired wide.

Merthyr responded with a break down the right on 23 minutes, Lees intercepted well, but then went off injured and was subbed by Brad Walker.

Walker had only been on the field for a few minutes when he went down under a challenge, and had to go off with a rib injury, so Ciaran Thompson came on.

Darlo defended well when Ellis Watts broke into the box, then Ben Hedley put in a good tackle on Sam Pearson.

Merthyr nearly scored just on half time when Watts crossed from the right, and Cole Jarvis just failed to get a touch in front of goal.

And in their next attack, Merthyr broke away with the Darlington defence appealing in vain for offside, and Pearson fired into the bottom left corner

Half time: Darlington 0 Merthyr 1

The second half started with a right wing corner by McLaughlin, but a packed Merthyr defence got the ball away.

But Merthyr replied with a good ball by Livermore, who found Pearson on the left, and he forced a flying save out of Jones to his left.

After a long break in play for injury to a Merthyr player, Lowes hoisted a free kick into the area which nobody from Darlington could get on the end of.

Quakers then made another sub on 62 minutes, Aidan Rutledge coming on for Beck, and Rutledge had a half chance with his first touch, but his effort was blocked

The game was getting more and more frantic, and Merthyr nearly got a second when Watts got into the box, but Jones saved well.

Quakers responded with a cross from the right by Atkinson that Hazel touched back to Fitzhugh, who fired over.

Fitzhugh was then replaced by Tom Henson on 71 minutes, then Stanton was replaced by Dylan Stephenson on 76 minutes.

Merthyr were reduced to ten men when Livermore was red carded for a foul on Atkinson 79 minutes, the midfielder going in high on the Darlington player.

Quakers tried to increase the pressure, but a left wing corner went over everybody, then a second was fisted away by the keeper. A third from the right, saw Kilsby get in a header and Rutledge knocked the ball over the bar.

Quakers kept asking questions of the Merthyr defence. In the second minute of stoppage time, a long range shot by Ben Hedley hit the bar and Rutledge just failed to get his head to the rebound, but then the pressure paid off when Rutledge managed to get his head to a left wing corner for the equaliser.

And right at the end, Hazel's close range shot was saved by the keeper.

Full time: Darlington 1 Merthyr 1

Jones, Hedley, Lees (sub Walker 25, sub Thompson 32), Kilsby, Atkinson, Lowes, Stanton (sub Stephenson 76), McLaughlin, Fitzhugh (sub Henson 71), Hazel, Beck (sub Rutledge 62)

Subs: Mason, Hatfield

Booking: McLaughlin 18 mins, KIlsby 67 mins, Thompson 78, Atkinson 78