Darlington 1 Rushall Olympic 1

Attendance 1174

Goal: Griffiths 40 mins, 1-0, George 60 mins, 1-1

We'd like to thank our match sponsors My Property Box

https://www.mypropertybox.co.uk/

and our matchball sponsors UK Scaffold

https://www.facebook.com/UkScaffoldltd/

Quakers were held to a 1-1 draw by Rushall Olympic, their second home draw within four days.

Again, Quakers led 1-0 with a goal by Kallum Griffiths -- his first for the club in 62 appearances -- but they conceded an equaliser on the hour, and couldn't break through after that.

The result leaves them seven points away from safety, with three successive away games coming up at Southport, Banbury and Gloucester.

Kallum Griffiths and Will Hatfield exchanged passes down the right in the second minute, but Griffiths’ cross was headed away at the near post, then in the fifth minute Ben Hedley and Jarrett Rivers swopped passes on the left edge of the box, but Rushall got the ball away at the near post again.

Rushall had the first chance of the game on 10 minutes when Kai Adan George controlled the ball on the right side of the Darlington area, sidestepped a challenge and fired left footed well wide.

Defences were both well on top for a spell, with Tommy Taylor coming out of his goal to hold on to a right wing cross, and the two Rushall centre halves won several balls in the air.

Hedley found Rivers on the right on 28 minutes, but his cross was again headed away.

Quakers won the first corner on 30 minutes thanks to Griffiths’ persistence, and they nearly scored. Hedley drove the ball into the six yard box where Toby Lees headed wide of the left hand post.

Quakers took the lead on 40 minutes. Hedley crossed from the left over to the far side of the penalty area, where Griffiths came in unmarked and beat Weaver with a right foot shot, even though the keeper got his right hand to it his first goal for Darlo in 62 matches

Then Quakers got another chance, this time to Hatfield, who pulled his effort wide..

Rushall nearly levelled through McLintock, who turned outside the area and hit a left foot shot that Taylor saved at full stretch.

Half time 1-0

In the second half, Quakers won a free kick 25 yards out on 48 minutes, which Hatfield curled towards the top corner, but Weaver held on.

Rivers then found Hedley on the left, but the full back’s low cross was held by Weaver.

Rushall got a free kick when Taylor handled outside his area and was booked. The ball ended up at the far post where there was a scramble, and Quakers got the ball off the line.

But Rushall levelled on the hour when the ball came in from the left, and George beat Taylor with a header.

Quakers nearly went back in front on 65 minutes when Hatfield’s deep cross to the far post found Salkeld, whose header was palmed away by Weaver, and then he was in the right place to save Rivers follow up.

Hatfield then forced the keeper into a full length save from the edge of the area.

Quakers then replaced Rivers with Ngandu.

They got a free kick for a foul 30 yards out, but Hedley’s free kick went straight at Weaver.

Moke tried his luck on 78 minutes when he spun on the ball 25 yards out, but his left foot shot went just over the bar., then Lindley struck a 30 yarder straight at the keeper.

Quakers went close with an inswinging corner by Hedley that was cleared off the line, then Akwasi Asante replaced Moke.

They had a goal disallowed on 84 minutes when Hatfield found Griffiths on the overlap and he struck a right foot shot that hit the bar, bounced down, and Salkeld was flagged offside when he put the ball in.

Asante had a chance when Griffiths crossed from the right, and his header was saved by Weaver.

Quakers won a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time , but the Rushall defence managed to get the ball away

Full time 1-1

Taylor, Griffiths, Lees, Sukar, Hedley, Platt, Lindley, Moke (sub Asante 78), Hatfield, Rivers (sub Ngandu 65), Salkeld

Subs:  Rowe, Winfield, Harker, 

Rushall Olympic

Weaver, Hudson, Fletcher, Brown, Bradley-Morgan, McLintock, Moore, george, Singh, Nkalambi-Masidi, Sullivan

Subs: Skeen-Hamilton, Carvaho-Landell, Clarke, Coyle