Darlington FC U23s came out on top in a thrilling 10-goal encounter, beating Shildon 6–4 in an entertaining game that had everything.

 

The lads showed great attacking quality throughout the match, finding the back of the net six times. Steven Dawson was the star of the show, hitting a fantastic hat-trick and putting in an outstanding performance from start to finish.

 

Jack Mortimer continued his goalscoring form with another goal, while Oakley Johnson and Harry Butters also got themselves on the scoresheet.

 

Manager John Walters said: "There were plenty of positives to take from the game, particularly our attacking play and the way the lads kept going when Shildon put us under pressure. Defensively, conceding four goals is something we know we need to work on, but these are the kinds of games that help us learn and improve as a group."

 

 

MOTM Steven Dawson — a brilliant hat-trick and a top-class all-round performance.

 

Six goals scored, three points secured and plenty to build on.