Ryton and Crawcrook 4 Darlington 2

 Quakers missed out on a trip to Rochdale when they lost 4-2 to Ryton and Crawcrook in the third qualifying round of the FA Youth Cup tonight.

Quakers couldn’t hold on to a 2-0 lead, with the game turning against them in the space of a minute.

Quakers had a penalty appeal turned down in the second minute when Joey Smith made a good run and played in Dale Milburn, and he appeared to be barged over in the box, but the ref waved play on.

Milburn nearly scored on 5 minutes with a curling free kick from 25 yards that swerved just past the post.

Ryton also looked dangerous, and they wasted a great chance on 15 minutes when Kyle Wharton miscued a great chance wide from ten yards out.

Quakers took the lead on 28 minutes, when Mattie Ridley rose above a crowd of players, and headed a right wing corner into the roof of the net.

And it was 2-0 a minute later, when Ethan Harker, one of the smallest players on the field, neatly headed a free kick from the right into the bottom corner from twelve yards out.

The game really opened out in the 35th minute, After Milburn crashed a right foot shot against the bar from 25 yards, Ryton were awarded a penalty for a push in the back and Wharton scored from the spot.

Milburn showed his quality with a clever turn 30 yards out, and a right foot shot that went just wide of the left hand post, but again Ryton replied, this time with a clinical finish by Wharton to level the scores.

Ryton went 3-2 up seven minutes after half time when a tackle just outside the Darlington penalty area saw the ball run loose for Dan Hales to beat Carl Robinson. And the keeper made a point blank save to stop Quakers going further behind a minute later.

However, Quakers kept going, and pushed men forward, leaving gaps at the back. Milburn and sub Danny Raw were just off target from ten yards out, and even though Ryton were pinned back at times, they broke away in the last minute and finished Quakers off when Ben Cains got through and beat Robinson.

Robinson, Kilpatrick, Moncur, Marshall (sub Parnaby 70), Ridley, Donoghue (sub McLay 60), Hume, Harker, O’Brien (sub Raw 60), Milburn, J Smith

Subs: Wright, N Smith