Darlington Under 23s 2 FC Hartlepool Reserves 2

Darlington FC U23s battled to a hard-fought 2–2 draw against FC Hartlepool Reserves in a fiercely contested derby.

Darlington unfortunately conceded two poor defensive goals once again, but responded brilliantly with two excellent team goals, both finished by Liam Murray. He and Jack Mortimer also had another couple of good chances and could easily have added to the scoreline.

Mortimer came close to producing the moment of the match with a stunning free-kick that smashed against the post.

The game became increasingly heated, and the referee appeared to lose control as the match progressed. Darlington were reduced to nine men after Jesse Nelson was sent off for an alleged head-butt, then captain Mortimer was sin-binned after questioning the decision

Despite being down to nine men, Darlington showed tremendous character and determination to hold on for a well-earned 2–2 draw.

Manager John Walters said; “It was a spirited performance from the young Darlington side in a derby that was overshadowed by refereeing decisions throughout the match.”