Quakers look for their second win of the week

By Ray Simpson

Quakers look for their second win of the week

Darlington look to continue to close the gap on league leaders Blyth Spartans when they travel to Ma...

Darlington look to continue to close the gap on league leaders Blyth Spartans when they travel to Matlock Town on Saturday. The Quakers go into the game in third place ten points behind Blyth with four games in hand. Darlington were able to win on Tuesday night at home to Ilkeston, 3-1, thanks to goals from Nathan Cartman, Lee Gaskell and Gary Brown.

 

Darlington team that night:

Jameson, Hunter, Burgess, Brown, Galbraith, Portas, Scott, Turnbull, Thompson (sub Armstrong 50 mins), Gaskell (sub Nowakowski 67), Cartman (sub Hardy 50 mins)

Subs not used: Provett, Mitchell

[caption id="attachment_18754" align="alignnone" width="300"]Lee Gaskell scores against Ilkeston Lee Gaskell scores against Ilkeston[/caption]

 

Matlock currently sit in 14th place in the league table, but have a decent home record winning eight times on home soil this season. Their latest league game was a 4-1 defeat at Stourbridge on Monday night. They have failed to win any of their last four games in the Evo-Stik Premier league.

Latest form

March 7th Stourbridge (away) lost 1-4 Needham

February 27th Stamford (away) lost 0-2

February 23rd Nantwich (home) drew 1-1 Purkiss

February 20th Marine (home) drew 0-0

February 16th Mickleover (home) won 2-0 McManus, Wilson

February 13th Marine (away) lost 1-2 Wilson

February 9th Darlington (away) lost 0-3

February 2nd Grantham (home) won 3-1. Wilson, Purkiss, Travis

When the two sides met at Heritage Park in February goals from Gary Brown, Lee Gaskell and Terry Galbraith saw Darlington earn all the points in a 3-0 victory.

The last time we met

[caption id="attachment_18755" align="alignnone" width="300"]Lee Gaskell in action against Matlock Lee Gaskell in action against Matlock[/caption]

Darlington 3 Matlock 0

Quakers recorded their fourth straight league with a convincing victory over Matlock.

Quakers were well in control in the opening stages . Adam Mitchell went close with a free kick, and Terry Galbraith fired straight at Matlock keeper George Willis, before they took the lead on 16 minutes.

Terry Galbraith’s free kick from the right was touched out for a corner by Willis, and when Adam Mitchell’s flag kick came over, Galbraith forced a point blank save out of Willis with a header, but Gary Brown was on hand to force the ball home from a couple of yards.

Quakers nearly added further goals. A Brown header from a floated free kick by Galbraith was deflected just wide, then Stephen Thompson charged through but fired just over the top.

The only threat that Matlock posed was a left foot volley by Ben Algar that Darlington keeper Peter Jameson saved comfortably.

Matlock wasted a good chance in the second half when Joel Purkiss burst away from the Darlington defence, but Jameson came off his line and saved well.

Lee Gaskell scored a superb second on 63 minutes. With his back to goal, he turned two defenders with some clever footwork, then exquisitely chipped the ball over Willis into the top corner.

Quakers wrapped up a convincing win in the last minute when Galbraith converted a right wing cross with a good left foot shot.

Goals: Brown (16 mins, 1-0), Gaskell (63 mins, 2-0), Galbraith (90 +3 mins, 3-0)

Darlington:

Jameson, Hunter, Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Mitchell (sub Portas 67), Scott, Gaskell (sub Armstrong 76), Cartman (sub Dowson 71), Thompson

Subs: Provett, Nowakowski

Bookings: Galbraith (foul),

Matlock:

Willis, Harcourt, Nelthorpe, Wilson (sub Cribley 55)), Yates, Burgin, Travis, Needham, Purkiss (sub Dawes 69), McManus (sub Gaughan 79), Algar

Subs: Holland, Gascoigne

Bookings: Wilson (foul) Nelthorpe (foul)

Attendance 916

Referee: Tony Peart

 

Quakers have won ten games away from home this season, Matlock have won eight of their 17 home games.

Elsewhere league leaders Blyth Spartans host Halesowen Town. After Saturday the Quakers head to Stamford on Tuesday night.

Kick off at the Causeway Stadium is 3pm on Saturday, updates will be made from the club’s Facebook, Twitter, Phone App, Website and be covered live on Darlo Fans Radio, with a guest summariser.