LANCASTER CITY 0 DARLINGTON 0

A frustrating draw at Lancaster City meant that for the first time the league title is out of Darlington’s hands.

They created but spurned numerous chances as they dominated play at the Giant Axe, but their stubborn Lancashire hosts stood firm, keeping their fourth clean sheet in a row.

Quakers thought they had snatched a winner deep into injury time when Terry Galbraith put the ball in the net from close-range, but he was deemed offside by a linesman.

Darlington finished the game with ten men and Gary Brown in goal as Peter Jameson was sent off for a professional foul, meaning he would be banned for the play-off final – if Quakers get that far.

THE STATS

Bookings: Marshall (49, foul), Bailey (82, time wasting)

Sending-off: Jameson (90, professional foul)

Referee: Alan Bennett

Attendance: 662

Lancaster City: Hale, Bailey, Davis, Marshall, Freeland; Winder, Akrigg, Hunter, Draycott (Clark 88); Poole (Woods 72), Wearing (Pearce 56). Subs (not used): Donlon (gk), Hudson

Darlington: Jameson; Brown, White, Hunter (Watson 79), Galbraith; A Mitchell, Scott, Portas, Thompson; Armstrong (Hatch 53), Dowson (Cartman 53). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Mota

THE MAGIC NUMBERS

1 – Not since March 2014, a draw with Prescot Cables, had Darlington finished a match 0-0, making the trip to Lancaster their first goalless draw of the season.

2 – The 0-0 scoreline was the second time the sides had finished goalless at the Giant Axe having also finished all-square in October 2013.

3 – It was the third time Darlington had failed to score against Lancaster in four attempts since the beginning of last season. The results have been: 0-0, 0-2, 3-0, 0-0.

40 – Peter Jameson’s sending off came in his 40th league appearance of the season at the ground where he made his Darlington debut last season.

87 – The point gained put Darlington on 87, also the number of points they had at the same stage last season when they went on to finish second with 90 points in total.