Darlington 4 Middlesbrough Under 21s 1

• Two successful penalties for Quakers
• Max Howells scores against his old club

Quakers recorded a good win in their latest pre season friendly at home to Middlesbrough Under 21s.

They couldn’t have had a better start to the game on 3 minutes, when a corner by Ellis Stanton, who dominated the midfield along with Paddy McLaughlin, was flicked on for Max Kilsby to head home.

Max Howells had a sweetly hit volley blocked by a defender on the six yard line, and Tom Platt headed a left wing corner over the top.

But at the other end, Bobby Jones pulled off two saves, particularly the second when the Boro striker got clean through, but the keeper saved well.

Quakers took control of the game just on half time when triallist A was clearly pushed in the back as he went for a header from a left wing cross – in a league game then a red card would probably have been shown – and Dylan Stephenson confidently fired home the penalty.

Max Howells, whose pace had caused problems down the left all game, then gave his marker the slip once again to control a low ball from Stanton, cut inside his man, and beat the keeper with a right foot shot into the bottom left corner.

Boro pulled a goal back on 67 minutes with a neat right foot shot, but in the last minute Mark Beck converted a penalty after he had been pushed in the area.

Team; Bobby Jones, Ciaran Thompson, Toby Lees (sub Ben Hedley 46), Dylan Wilkinson, Max Kilsby, Tom Platt (sub Mark Beck 46), Ellis Stanton, Paddy McLaughlin, Max Howells (sub Oakley Johnson 85), Dylan Stephenson, Triallist A

Subs: Triallist B, Owen Harvey, Liam Murray, Jesse Nelson