Spennymoor 3 Darlington 1

Roberts 19 mins, 1-0, Donawa 38 mins, 1-1, McKenna 85 mins, 2-1, Boyes 90 mins, 3-1

Attendance 2,260

Quakers' five game unbeaten run came to an end because of two goals in the last five minutes at the Brewery Field, Spennymoor gaining revenge for their Boxing day defeat at Blackwell Meadows.

A measure of a thrilling game was performances of the two keepers, Chris Elliott of Darlington and Matthew Gould of Spennymoor. The pair of them pulled off some top drawer saves when the game was finely poised.

Quakers won the first corner after a run by Adam Campbell down the right. Campbell put the corner into the box where Stephen Thompson, running away from goal, headed wide.

At the other end Glen Taylor got into a good position, but fired across the face of goal

Moors had a chance when Ben McKenna crossed from the left for James Roberts to head wide.

With both teams being cagey, Michael Liddle crossed from the left for Sean Reid to head goalwards, but Gould saved easily.

Moors created a good chance on 16 minutes when Roberts and  Taylor combined well to give Rob Ramshaw a shooting chance from a tight angle, but Elliott saved easily on his six yard line.

Moors took the lead on 19 minutes. A long clearance by Gould went over the top of the Darlington defence for Roberts to latch on to, and squeeze into the net from a tight angle.

Quakers nearly levelled on 24 minutes when Campbell chased a long ball, outpaced Curtis and lobbed the ball over the advancing Gould, but just wide.

At the other end, Roberts set up Henry, who fired just wide from inside the box.

Quakers levelled on 38 minutes, Thompson, who had switched to the right, played a 1-2 with Campbell and crossed into the middle for Donawa to head cleanly past Gould for his 8^th goal of the season.

Quakers missed a great chance on half time. Donawa used his pace down the right, beat his man, and crossed for Reid, whose shot was blocked by Gould.

And just on half time, Donawa set up Joe Wheatley, whose powerful right foot shot was pushed on to the bar by Gould for a corner.

Half time 1-1

After the start of the second half was delayed for 15 minutes because of a barrier collapse – Moors had the first chance of the second half, when Ramshaw put Taylor through, but the striker fired across the face of goal.

Moors had another chance when Chandler crossed for McKenna to have a shot blocked.

Roberts had another effort blocked, and Taylor’s header was deflected over the bar, then Elliott did well to hold on to Buddle’s header from the corner.

At the other end, Gould excelled himself when Hatfield cleverly put Donawa through, but the keeper saved well.

Moors missed a great chance when Ramshaw sprinted up the left past three men and crossed to the far post where Taylor volleyed over.

Elliott made another good save on 79 minutes when McKenna got away down the left again and crossed into the middle, where Henry put in a header that was well saved by Elliott to his right.

From the corner, the ball ran to Roberts on the far corner of the box, and his piledriver hit the side netting.

But Quakers nearly scored Reid played a 1-2 with Hatfield and found space inside the box to fire across the face of goal. 

Just as it looked as if Quakers might get the winner, Moors caught them on the break.

Moors went 2-1 up on 85 minutes when McKenna played a 1-2 with Taylor to get into the box, and fired a left foot shot across Elliott that went in off the post.

And it was 3-1 when Ramshaw got round the back on the right and set up sub Adam Boyes to sidefoot home from a few yards.

Darlington: Elliott, Hedley, Liddle, Wheatley, Laing, Storey, Donawa, Hatfield, Campbell, Reid, Thompson (sub Rivers 77)

Subs: Watson, Holness, Lambert,  Bascome

Booking: Wheatley

Spennymoor: Gould, Magnay, Buddle, Curtis, Brogan, Roberts (sub Boyes 87), Chandler, Ramshaw, Henry, McKenna

Subs: Mason, Anderson, Earing, Johnson