The Quakers and the Seasiders last met on January 19th, Quakers' first game in three weeks because of postponed games, while Whitby's new manager Chris Hardy had just taken over.

Darlington 2 Whitby 2

Quakers dropped points after their enforced winter lay off in a 2-2 draw against Whitby.

The seasiders took the lead on 6 minutes when Matthew Waters headed an outswinging corner by former Darlington player 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.

Quakers nearly took the lead when Stephen Thompson switched to the middle and made a good run, exchanged passes with Nathan Cartman, but fired straight at the keeper.

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

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.

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 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.

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 the ball into the roof of the net.

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

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 9sub Elliott 90), Waters (Gardiner 90), Brobbel (sub Jewson 73)

Subs: Robinson, Dixon