Peterborough Sports 4 Darlington 1

Gyasi 3 mins, 1-0, Atherton 32 mins, 2-0, Bakre 41 mins, 2-1, Gyasi 72 mins, 3-1, Jarvis 79 mins, 4-1

Darlington suffered a blow to their play off hopes when they were beaten at Lincoln Road.

They never really got going after they conceded a third minute goal to Michael Gyasi, who caused problems for the Quakers defence all afternoon with his strength and pace, scoring twice.

Quakers conceded the first corner on 2 minutes when Ben Hedley headed away a good cross from the right.

But Peterborough scored from the corner on the right when it was flicked on at the near post for Michael Gyasi to turn home.

Quakers tried to break out, and Elliot Putman just managed to hook the ball away from Hazeem Bakre as he was threatening to break through.

Then Matty Cornish played Jack Maskell into the box, and he sidestepped a defender and was just about to shoot when he was tackled.

Sports responded with a powerful low shot by Dan Jarvis which Jameson parried.

Quakers didn’t make the most of a break on 19 minutes when Bakre played the ball forward to Main, who in turn tried to find Cornish, but last man Gash just intercepted.

When Bakre tried to break on 25 minutes, Putman pulled him back, and was shown a yellow, when Quakers though the foul was perhaps a red. Will Hatfield whipped the free kick into the box, and the ball was deflected into the keeper’s hands.

It was 2-0 on 32 minutes, when Atherton picked the ball up on the right, got into the area and beat Jameson with a powerful right foot shot.

It was nearly 3-0 when Gyasi got through, but he pulled his shot across the face of goal.

Quakers won their first corner on 38 minutes, but Cornish’s setpiece was cleared at the near post.

Quakers pulled a goal back on 41 minutes. Cornish crossed from the left, Main flicked the ball on, and Bakre cleverly sidestepped a defender and blasted the ball home.

Half time 2-1

At the start of the second half, good play by Bakre sent Maskell away down the left, but Maskell’s low cross was blocked by a defender.

Then when Cornish set up Hedley on the edge of the area, the full back’s shot went over the top.

Bakre then broke away to go 1 on 1 with the keeper, but his loose  second touch encouraged Crook to come out and save at his feet, but the keeper suffered an injury which needed lengthy treatment, and he had to be stretchered off and was replaced by Tyler Winters, who is usually a striker.

Gyasi was always a danger, and he cut in from the left before hitting a right foot shot over the top on 59 minutes.

Quakers won a free kick out on the right for a foul on Hatfield on 63 minutes. The ball was floated in by Barrow and it came to Bakre, whose shot was deflected just wide. When Cornish’s corner came in, Lees headed over the top.

Quakers made their first sub on 67 minutes, Ben Andreucci coming on for Cornish

Andreucci was involved in setting up Barrow, who hit a left foot shot a couple of yards wide.

It was 3-1 on 72 minutes. Gyasi got away from Lees who was left on the ground, ran into the area, and scored with a left foot sot into the top corner.

Quakers made another sub on 75 minutes, Hatfield being replaced by Hetherington.

It was nearly 4-1 though when Felix forced Jameson into a good save, but Gyasi put the rebound over the bar.

But it was all over though on 79 minutes when the ball was played into the box for Jarvis to beat Jameson with a right foot shot into the top left corner.

In the last minute, Maskell had a header saved by Winters from a Hedley cross.

Full time 

Peterborough Sports 4 Darlington 1

Team: Jameson, Hedley, Lees, Stirland, Barrow. Hatfield (sub Hetherington 75), Flint, Cornish (sub Andreucci 67), Bakre, Main, Maskell.

Subs: Small, Rivers, Maddison