Two goals by Terry Galbraith put Quakers on top of the Vanarama National League North

There was an early scare for Quakers when Marcus Carver beat Liam Marrs to the ball down the Chorley left and he got behind the defence, but Kev Burgess cleared at the near post.

Then on 7 minutes Chorley’s early probing saw Matt Challoner break into the box on the right, and Peter Jameson slid out and blocked at his feet.

From the corner that followed, Scott Leather headed firmly against the bar with the keeper beaten.

Quakers were exposed again on 10 minutes when Gonzales broke down the right and crossed to the far post where Paul Jarvis volleyed over the top from a good position.

And there was another escape for Quakers when Gonzalez crossed from the right, amd Josh O’Keefe, making an unmarked run into the box, poked the ball just wide.

So it was against the run of the early play that Quakers stunned Chorley by getting a penalty on 14 minutes when Hardy made a good run into the box and was tripped by Kieran Charnock, and Terry Galbraith converted his third penalty of the season.

Quakers thought they had another good shout for a penalty on 24 minutes when Mark Beck went tumbling in the box as he went for a Terry Galbraith cross from the left.

However, Chorley always looked dangerous, and they went close again on 31 minutes when Charnock glanced a free kick by Jarvis just wide.

And they had yet another chance when Carver sidestepped Marrs and hit a low shot that Jameson saved one-handed low down to his right.

But Quakers held on until the half time break.

Darlington 1 Chorley 0

Quakers had a chance at the start of the second half, when Gary Brown’s long throw dropped to Hardy, whose close range shot was blocked for a corner.

Quakers went 2-0 up from the corner on 47 minutes when Josh Gillies swung the corner over to the far post, where Galbraith headed into the roof of the net.

Leather was shown a yellow card when he deliberately obstructed Hardy as he chased a through ball.

However there was another let off when Jameson could only block a through ball to Jason Walker who squared the ball into the six yard box where Gonzalez sidefooted wide.

But after that, Quakers kept the game tight, and only allowed one chance that Jameson saved.

Attendance 1543

Team: Jameson, Marrs, Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Portas, Scott, Beck, Hardy, Gillies

Subs: Thompson, Bell, Cartman, Hunter, Nowakowski

Chorley:

Ashton, Challoner, Jarvis, Charnock, Leather, Jordan, Cottrell, Whitham, Carver, Gonzales, O’Keefe

Subs: Teague, Beesley, Walker, Blakeman, Azam

Referee: M Edwards