They returned to the top of the table, but only after dealing with Brighouse Town’s stubborn resistance, grinding out three points when too many of the team had an off day.

A lackadaisical Quakers looked like they were still recovering from a good New Year’s Eve shindig, not even the bright winter sunshine waking them from their slumber.

No clever tactical manoeuvre was required, just a good old fashioned half-time rollicking.

“A lot of harsh words were said in the changing room and I thought the reaction in the second half was a lot better,” explained manager Martin Gray.

“I can’t say publicly what was said, I’d get locked up. But the first half wasn’t what I expect of the players and they understood the message.

“I always get a good reaction from them because they’re such a good honest group, but they had to step up their game.”

They did so, scoring twice in the second half through Gary Brown and David Dowson to win 2-0 and extend the unbeaten league run to 15 games and take Darlington into first position on goal difference.

It’s a three-way tie with Northwich and Salford City, who this weekend appointed Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley as joint-managers.

They last season guided Ramsbottom United to promotion, overcoming Quakers on the way, when Gray’s men played second fiddle to champions Curzon Ashton, a team Darlington are now attempting to emulate.

They were tough to break down, conceding 36 goals in 42 games, while Darlington’s defence is doing even better, ceding only 13 times in 22 matches, Saturday being their 12th clean sheet.

Quakers score plenty too. They now have 50 in the league and, playing against a team entrenched in the bottom half of the division, some may have hoped for a high-scoring victory, but Brighouse were obdurate opponents.

Gray said: “We’re going to come up against teams who work as hard as they do and make things difficult. Brighouse are very much a counter-attacking team and we were below our usual standards in the first half.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, you can’t always be at your best. Look at Chelsea the other day, conceding five to Tottenham.

“It’s sometimes about grinding results out, but we did enough to win the game, there’s no question about that.”

There was little between the teams during a dull first 45 minutes, notable only for the silence at a deathly quiet Heritage Park.

Brighouse No. 1, Jordan Porter, played without a cap, despite the setting sun at the other end of the pitch, but it was not an issue as Darlington did not given him much to worry about.

The second half was different, however, the crowd responding to Darlington’s improved showing and Graeme Armstrong giving Porter a save to make, but the keeper was unable to stop Brown’s instinctive finish which put the hosts ahead.

Midway through the half, substitute Terry Galbraith was sent on in time to take a corner which Armstrong headed back across goal for Brown who, with all the composure of a natural finisher, uncharacteristically flicked the ball home using his heel.

It was his first game back after suspension and, remarkably, reckons he’s scored such a goal before.

He said: “Army nodded it down and I heel-kicked it in. I scored an identical one against a Hungarian team for the school in France about 14 years ago.”

Quakers now looked much more comfortable and Dowson, in for calf injury victim Amar Purewal, missed a one-on-one to make it safe, a miss which would’ve been costly had Peter Jameson not made a smart reflex save from Danny Hull at close-range in the dying minutes.

Dowson eventually made it 2-0 at the death, only his second league goal of the season, after turning in the penalty area following good work up the right and a pull-back by Armstrong.

Back at the summit, Darlington have three games in hand on both Northwich and Salford.

“It’s nothing to get excited about,” said Gray. “We’re in a position that we want to be and we’ve got games in hand, which is really important.

“There’ll be twists and turns. All we can do is focus on our job.

“We’ve heard other people’s results and some have gone for us – great, you need that bit of luck.

“We’ve got to make sure we do our job, that’s all we can concentrate on.

“Having too many games in hand can cost you. We’ve got no distractions with cup competitions, it’s up to us to make sure we prepare our players and get them focused on the next game.”

That game is at bottom of the table Padiham this weekend.

Goals: Brown (1-0, 69), Dowson (2-0, 90)

Bookings: Scott (59, foul)

Referee: Craig Dean (Chester-le-Sreet)

Attendance: 842

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson, Brown, White, Hunter, Watson (Robinson 85), A Mitchell, Portas, Scott (Galbraith 68), Thompson (Mota 65), Armstrong, Dowson. Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Hatch

Brighouse Town (4-4-2): Porter, Hewitt, Wilson, Gay, Scott, Hall, Hurtley, Allison (Baldwin 75), Henry (Harris 75); BOAFO, Hull 6. Subs (not used): Quinn (gk), Thornton, Fisher