Gloucester City 2 Darlington 6

Attendance 622

Goals: Lambert 21 mins, 0-1,  Dodds 44 mins, 0-2, Lambert 60 mins, 0-3, Gyasi 62 mins, 1-3, Lambert 69 mins, 1-4, Beck 78 mins 1-5, Liddle 82 mins 1-6, McClure 86 mins, 2-6

Here's Alun's assessment of the win, our first at Gloucester for six years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aciUf0UoyVU

and here are the goals:

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/goals-and-highlights-from-win-at-gloucester-available-now

Quakers went back to the top of the table with an emphatic victory at Meadow Park, their best ever away win in the National League North.

Jack Lambert scored a brilliant hat trick, his second of the season as Quakers won with plenty to spare in an emphatic performance, their fifth successive away win.

It was also Quakers best away win since that famous 7-1 win at Whitby six years ago.

As well as Lambert scoring a hat trick, Dan Dodds scored a screamer from 25 yards, Mark Beck came on as sub and scored with his first touch, and Ben Liddle added a sixth.

Lambert is the first Quakers player to score two hat tricks before Christmas since Lee Gaskell did so in the EvoStik League in 2015-16.

Quakers had the first opening on 2 minutes when Jacob Hazel headed the ball on for Jack Lambert to control and he struck a 25 yarder that went past the left hand post.

Gloucester keeper Elliott Jones, a late replacement for Brandon Hall, was booked on 6 minutes when he raced out of his goal to gather a through ball from Alex Purver ahead of Kaine Felix, and handled outside of his area, almost on the bye line.

Ben Liddle took the free kick, and curled it against the crossbar despite the acute angle and the ball went out for a goal kick.

Gloucester replied when Matt McClure played the ball inside for Dominic McHale, who hit a low left foot shot that Taylor saved down to his left.

Lambert got the bye line on the right hand side and crossed the ball into the middle, but Jones got there before Hazel on the six yard line.

Quakers pressure paid off, and they took the lead on 21 minutes. Lambert robbed a defender inside the penalty area, ran forward and beat Jones with a shot inside the near post for his tenth goal of the season!

They went looking for a second when Adriano Moke found the overlapping Ben Hedley on the left, he found Ben Liddle who pulled the ball back into the middle, but there was nobody to take advantage.

Lambert again robbed a defender, this time on the left, and he curled a right foot effort just past the far post.

Gloucester replied with a good run by Gyasi, which ended with a shot across the face of goal.

It was 2-0 on 44 minutes. Danny Dodds intercepted the ball just inside the Gloucester half, sprinted to the edge of the Gloucester box, and fired a right foot shot that flew over the keeper into the net! The on loan Boro player's first goal for the club, and his first senior goal.

Half time 0-2

Quakers started the second half in the same attacking vein, and it was nearly 3-0 on 49 minutes, when Lambert set up Hazel, who struck a dipping left foot shot that went just over the bar.

Taylor did well on 52 minutes when Gyasi got through, but the keeper saved well at his feet, and then recovered to hold the follow up.

But Quakers pressure on the Gloucester back four again paid off when Hazel won the ball, ran forward and hit a left foot shot just wide.

Hazel then combined well with Lambert, raced forward and forced Jones into a full length save.

It was 3-0 on the hour, Lambert took a corner from the Darlington left, and he curled the ball cleverly over everyone into the net. 

But Gloucester shocked Quakers and pulled a goal back, when Gyasi curled a right foot shot into the top corner.

Quakers nearly got a fourth when Moke broke and set up Felix twelve yards out, but he fired over the top.

But it was 4-1 on 67 minutes when Dodds ran forward powerfully and slipped the ball through for Lambert, who stepped around the keeper and rolled the ball home for his second hat trick of the season!

Quakers made a sub on 70 minutes, Griffiths coming on for Moke.

Mark Beck came on as a sub on 77 minutes, and he scored with his first touch, a looping header from a right wing free kick by Lambert, his 15th goal of the season!

It was 6-1 on 82 minutes, again Liddle had plenty of time 25 yards out, and he fired a left foot shot from a Lambert lay off into the bottom corner of the net!

Gloucester were awarded a penalty on 85 minutes, which McClure converted, but that was just a consolation goal.

It was a superb victory for Quakers, their seventh away win of the season, and worthy of putting them back on top of the table.

Final score Gloucester 2 Darlington 6

Taylor: Dodds, Sukar, Lawlor, Hedley, Moke (sub Griffiths 70), Purver, Liddle, Lambert, Felix, Hazel (sub Beck 77)

Subs: Rose, Martin, Rivers

Gloucester: Jones , James, Nugent, Mahorn, Tiensia, Leadbitter, Phillips, Gyasi, McHale, Andrews, McClure

Subs: Evans, O'Sullivan, Mitford, Obadeyi,

Booking Jones