South Shields 0 Darlington 4

Scorers: Hatfield 71, Main 75, Griffiths 90, Curry 90+4

Attendance 2,804

Quakers scored four times in the second half to give them their biggest win of the season at the First Cloud Stadium.

Shields had a man sent off after 12 minutes and it took a while for Quakers to break the home side down, but they succeeded with a close range header by Will Hatfield on 71 minutes. Cedric Main scored his first goal for the club four minutes later, then Kallum Grhiffiths made it 3-0 from the edge of the box. Mitch Curry wrapped it up in stoppage time to record Quakers' fifth away win of the season.

Here are the thoughts of assistant manager Terry Mitchell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9246K-bUVI

and the first goalscorer Will Hatfield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF1RJE581PE

and the fourth goalscorer Mitch Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTFuVxqDfUQ

Shields got a free kick on the right about 10 yards in from the corner flag on 4 minutes, but Robbie Briggs' setpiece was easily cleared.

Quakers moved forward confidently on 5 minutes to the edge of the box through Cedric Main, but his ball through for Andrew Nelson saw the assistant’s flag go up for offside.

Paul Blackett got behind the Darlington defence in Shields’ next attack, but his pull back was held by debutant keeper Matty Young.

Blackett had the ball in the Darlington net on 7 minutes, but the flag went up.

Shields were reduced to ten men on 12 minutes when Main pounced on a loose ball about 15 yards inside the Shields half and was tugged back by Briggs, who was shown an instant red card by the referee.

Quakers had a penalty shout when Scott Barrow crossed low from the left and Main claimed that he was tripped in the area as he turned, but the referee waved away his appeals.

A good ball out of defence found Main on the right, and his low shot was blocked for a corner. Liddle drove the ball in low into the near post where Toby Lees had a flick on stopped, and the ball came out to Barrow 25 yards out, and he drove it wide of the right hand post.

Quakers had a chance on 25 minutes when they carefully built up through the middle and Ben Liddle found Matty Cornish running into the box, and his shot was blocked by a covering defender.

Main, who once had a spell at South Shields, won Quakers' second corner on 36 minutes. But Liddle’s corner was headed away, but he got the ball back to the edge of the box where Main turned and pulled a shot wide.

Cardo Siddik who had already been booked, was lectured for a challenge on the halfway line on 43 minutes which looked pretty fair.

Shields were making it hard for Quakers to break them down, and were getting caught in the home offside trap on too many occasions.

Half time 0-0

Quakers made a change at half time, Ben Hedley coming on for Siddik. Manager Steve Watson clearly didn't want to risk Siddik being sent off. 

Quakers had a chance on 48 minutes. Liddle’s shot was blocked, and the ball spun out for Cornish to drive a right foot shot wide from 12 yards.

Then Cornish broke on the right and played the ball square for Liddle, who placed his shot just wide of the left hand post.

Quakers claimed a penalty on 50 minutes when Main crossed from the right and Lees appeared to be pushed, but again the referee waved play on.

Quakers won a corner thanks to a good cross by Kallum Griffiths that was put out on 58 minutes,  Liddle’s corner came back to him, and his cross into the middle was headed wide by Lees.

Quakers made another sub on 63 minutes, Mitch Curry coming on for Nelson.

Quakers came their closest yet on 67 minutes, when Griffiths crossed low from the right for Curry to volley first time into the side netting.

Quakers took the lead on 71 minutes. Another patient build up saw Liddle have a shot blocked, and the ball looped up into the air for Will Hatfield to nod home his fifth goal of the season from a couple of yards out.

It was 2-0 four minutes later. Griffiths and Cornish got the ball into the Shields box, where Main turned and fired low into the bottom right corner for his first goal for the club!

It was nearly 3-0 on 78 minutes, when Hedley curled a corner in from the left for Liddle to head straight at Shields keeper Wilf Boney.

Quakers still had to be alert, and Blackett got around the back of the defence, but Young saved at close range.

At the other end, though, Curry received a pass from Cornish, turned, and tried to curl the ball into the top left corner, but  Boney held on.

Cornish had a goal disallowed on 83 minutes when he dispossessed a defender and fired across the keeper and into the bottom left corner, but the ref pulled him up for a foul.

Quakers made their third sub on on 84 minutes, Jarrett Rivers coming on for Liddle.

Shields had another man sent off, Will Jenkins, for a two footed tackle on Cornish just inside the Darlington half

It was 3-0 on 90 minutes, another patient build up ended when Cornish set up Griffiths, who fired low into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area for his second goal of the season.

It was 4-0 on 90+4 minutes when Curry turned and fired low into the bottom corner to complete a patient and richly-deserved win to the delight of the travelling fans.

Full time: South Shields 0 Darlington 4

Team: Young, Griffiths, Lees, Siddik (sub Hedley 46), Barrow, Platt, Liddle (sub Rivers 84), Hatfield, Cornish, Nelson (sub Curry 63), Main.

Subs: Salkeld, Lindley

Bookings: Main 17, Siddik 26, Liddle 28

Shields:

Boney, Hunter, Heaney, Broadbent, Morse, Smith, Jenkins, Briggs, Blackett, Woods, Stephenson

Subs: Clarke, Abbey, Gomes-Carrington, Martin, Sloan

Red: Briggs 15, Smith 85

Bookings: Broadbent 17