Quakers dropped two valuable points in their promotion quest against Whitby at Heritage Park.

They led 2-1 at one point and missed two easy chances to extend their lea on a night when they looked rusty after a three week lay off.

Whitby’s Ryan Brobbell had the first shot at goal from the edge of the area, a low effort that was easily saved by Peter Jameson.

Quakers replied with a powerful run by Stephen Thompson which ended when he laid the ball back for Terry Galbraith to cross low into the middle where Nathan Cartman tried a shot on the turn that took a deflection and was saved by Shane Bland.

Whitby took the lead on 6 minutes when Matthew Waters headed an outswinging corner by Dale Hopson into the top corner of the net.

Quakers nearly levelled two minutes later when Lee Gaskell got away from the defence, tried to lob Bland, but the keeper managed to scramble back and hold the ball on the line.

There was no doubt about Quakers’ equaliser on 11 minutes, when a right wing corner by Adam Mitchell was cleared by defender Lee Bullock to the edge of the box, where Stephen Thompson hit a delightful first time volley past the static Bland for his fifth league goal of the season.

[caption id="attachment_16425" align="alignnone" width="300"] Stephen Thompson celebrates his terrific equaliser[/caption]

Quakers went in front on 31 minutes when Cartman found Chris hunter on the right, and he crossed into the middle where Terry Galbraith, up supporting his attack rose high above the Whitby defence and beat Bland with a looping header that dropped into the corner of the net.

[caption id="attachment_16417" align="alignnone" width="300"] Terry Galbraith celebrates after scoring the second goal[/caption]

Quakers nearly got a third when former Whitby player Kevin Burgess was first to meet a Terry Galbraith corner, and his header went just wide of the left hand post.

HT Darlington 2 Whitby 1

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Quakers made a substitution at half time, former Whitby player Tom Portas replacing Adam Mitchell.

After Tom Portas came on for Adam Mitchell, Quakers nearly got a third when Cartman and Gaskell combined well for Gaskell to fire straight at Bland from the edge of the area.

Another sub Graeme Armstrong,on for Cartman, should have scored on 56 minutes when Gaskell cut in from the right and set him up six yards out, but he slotted the ball wide.

Quakers missed another sitter on 62 minutes when Armstrong got around the back of the defence and set up an easy chance for Gaskell, who somehow pulled the ball wide from just a couple of yards out.

[caption id="attachment_16424" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lee Gaskell slips with the goal at his mercy[/caption]

Quakers paid the price for those missed chances when Whitby broke into the box on the right, and the ball was pulled back for former Darlington player Dale Hopson to fire into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

Quakers nearly regained the lead on 81 minutes when Bland punched Galbraith’s corner as far as Thompson, who fired just over the top.

Quakers had a let off in the last minute when Whitby sub Jordan Jewson broke clean through, but Jameson saved well at his feet.

Stats:

Shots on target: Darlington 10, Whitby 5

Shots off target: Darlington 10, Whitby 2

Corners: Darlington 7 Whitby 2

Yellow cards: 0-0

Red Cards 0-0

Darlington: Jameson, Hunter (sub Nowakowski 78), Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Mitchell (sub Portas 45), Scott, Gaskell, Cartman (Armstrong 53) , Thompson.

Subs: Provett, Dowson

Whitby: Bland, Martin, McGinley, Weledji, Poole, McTiernan, Hopson, Roberts (sub Elliott 90), Waters (sub Gardiner 90), Brobbel (sub Jewson 73)

Subs: Robinson, Dixon,

Attendance 940