Darlington 3 Radcliffe 0

Maskell 32 mins, 1-0, McGowan 68 mins 2-0, Main 88 mins 3-0

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Darlington are now firmly in fifth place in the table after a comfortable 3-0 victory over play off rivals Radcliffe.

Goals from Jack Maskell, Will McGowan and Cedric Main gave high tempo Quakers the points over Radcliffe, who only troubled Rory Watson on a couple of occasions.

Here are the goals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TTB6G5ZoHM

After a corner that came to nothing, Quakers had the first chance on 4 minutes.

Ethan Fitzhugh, making his full debut on the left, beat a defender and set up Jonah Lowes, who hit a curling shot that went just over the bar.

There was another opportunity when Cedric Main crossed from the left to the far post, and Tom Tweedy headed just wide of the post.

And another chance came along on 12 minutes when Scott Barrow crossed to the far post from the right, and Main fired over with a defender trying to get a tackle in.

Then after another spell of pressure, Barrow crossed for Elliot Forbes to put a glancing header just over the bar.

The Radcliffe keeper Matt Hewelt, was booked for timewasting on 16 minutes.

However, they went down the other end and nearly scored, when Rio Clegg played the ball through for Luke Daley, who fired just wide of the right hand post.

Maskell’s persistence nearly gained its reward when McGowan played a long ball forward for Maskell to chase, and keeper Hewelt had to quickly grab the ball just inside his area with the striker bearing down on him.

Quakers deservedly took the lead on 32 minutes. Forbes ran at the Radcliffe defence and slipped the ball out to the right to Main, who then squared the ball back into the middle where Forbes was blocked, but the ball ran perfectly for Maskell to strike past Hewelt for his 14^th goal of the season.

The score was nearly 2-0 on 36 minutes when Maskell and McGowan both had attempts blocked, and the ball ran for Lowes, who was inches wide with a right foot shot.

And Radcliffe had another escape when Ben Hedley turned well outside the area, wrong footed a defender, but after his effort beat the keeper, it came back off the foot of the post.

And just on half time, Tweedy cut in from the right, and his low left foot shot was well saved by Hewelt.

Quakers had dominated the first half, but just had the one goal to show for their efforts

Half time:

Darlington 1 Radcliffe 0

Radcliffe started the second half with a header by Jordan Hulme from a right wing cross, but at the other end, Tweedy cut in from the right and after beating a man, fired just over the bar.

Tweedy then played a great ball through for Lowes, whose touch didn’t quite beat Hewelt, who had come out of his area.

Hewelt was again in action a few minutes later, punching away under pressure a cross from the right by Tweedy,  and then the keeper pulled off an even better save from Tweedy after he had again worked his way in from the right.

Radcliffe were starting to come into the game, and probed the home defence, but the Quakers scored their second on 68 minutes and took a stranglehold on the game.

Quakers lost possession on the edge of the Radcliffe area, but Lowes quickly won the ball back and played it into the box for McGowan to take a touch, and beat the keeper with a curling left foot shot.

Quakers then made two subs, Tom Allan and Kallum Griffiths coming on for Ethan Fitzhugh and Tom Tweedy.

Radcliffe couldn’t be ruled out, and on 80 minutes Watson made a good double save from Taylor, parrying his first header, then recovering to hold the second.

But with two minutes left, Quakers made sure when Griffiths crossed from the right for Main to head firmly past the keeper.

Final score:

Darlington 3 Radcliffe 0

Team: Watson, Hedley, Barrow, Forbes (sub Barton 91), Platt (sub McLaughlin 89), Lowes, Tweedy (sub Griffiths 76), Fitzhugh (sub Allan 70), McGowan, Maskell (sub Rutledge 89), Main

Subs: Lees, Mason