AFC Telford United 1 Darlington 2 - Report and pictures

Gavin Cowan’s side started brightly but faded away against a Darlington side who were superior in possession, having sand metaphorically kicked in their faces on a heavily sanded New Buck’s Head surface. After falling behind, the Bucks levelled the scores through the in-form Marcus Dinanga, but once Adam Campbell restored the visitors’ lead it was an advantage which they didn’t come close to relinquishing.

Starting the game with new loan signing Russ Griffiths in goal, making him the fifth keeper employed this season, the early signs were promising. Right winger Ryan Barnett looked to have the beating of Darlo full-back Michael Liddle, whilst on the opposite flank, Brendon Daniels carved out the game’s first clear chance after just 8 minutes; Quakers captain Terry Galbraith failed to cut out Daniels’ dangerous delivery, but the extra touch taken by Marcus Dinanga before getting his shot away allowed Chris Elliott to advance and block his effort with his legs.

The visitors were prepared to give as good as they got, however, and they took the lead just five minutes later. Darlington were tidy in possession all afternoon, and Will Hatfield’s shooting prowess from distance is noted, so when the Bucks didn’t close him down quickly enough, he accepted the invitation to despatch a well-struck effort from 20 yards past the dive of Griffiths, to the keeper’s left.

Quakers manager Alun Armstrong had challenged his side to go the rest of the season undefeated, and they could have built on that lead. Winger Jarrett Rivers was nimble but too often failed to deliver the killer ball after doing the hard work, and the game drifted into the doldrums for a period before the Bucks drew level on 35 minutes; Brendon Daniels, the home team’s best performer, moved the ball on swiftly when defender Louis Laing dived in hastily, and recipient Adam Walker advanced down the left before his cross picked out Dinanga, who finished with aplomb, scoring past Elliott’s right hand from 8 yards. The goal was the Dinanga’s sixth goal in his last six matches, the striker profiting from a more regular place in the starting eleven.

Hatfield, pulling the strings in midfield with Joe Wheatley, pinged another shot from long range over the angle of post and crossbar before half-time, and level pegging at the break probably disappointed the Quakers more than the Bucks.

They set about their task far more assertively than the Bucks after half-time, and Cowan’s side couldn’t match them for quality, even though they exerted themselves physically. A stroke of fortune kept the scores level early in the half, when former Buck Stephen Thompson plunged in at the far post to meet a cross from Omar Holness; defender Ross White turned his back on the effort, which rebounded to safety off the no.2 on his back. Griffiths, looking reasonably assured on his debut, had to deal with a low cross and then beat away another Quakers shot at his near post as the visitors looked to turn the screw.

They didn’t have to wait long before they took a decisive lead, going ahead again on 59 minutes; a diagonal ball from their right bisected a static home rearguard and picked out the diminutive but tricky Adam Campbell, who he deftly rounded Griffiths to score.

Cowan responded by replacing Barnett with Aaron Williams, but the change didn’t spark a revival. Matty Stenson also joined the fray, in place of James McQuilkin, but the Bucks’ attacking inspiration was lacking, more hopeful than purposeful. Darlington were happy to have possession and to occasionally try and pick the Bucks off with their neat and incisive passing. They created few clear chances, but the Bucks even fewer, and Cowan’s side resembled a boy trying to retrieve their stolen ice cream from the beach bully, but who simply couldn’t get near him.

The final whistle finally brought the agony to an end, and finding motivation over the remaining nine games of the season looks to be the challenge the Bucks now face.

AFC Telford United: Griffiths, White, Deeney, Lilly, Sutton (c), Streete, Barnett (Stenson 74), Walker, Dinanga, McQuilkin (Williams 63), Daniels.

Unused substitutes: Royle, Knights, Jones.

Scorers: Dinanga (35).

Cautions: Lilly, Walker.

Darlington: Elliott, Hedley (Watson 90), Liddle, Wheatley, Laing, Galbraith, Rivers, Hatfield, Campbell, Holness (Atkinson 72), Thompson (Donawa 75).

Unused substitutes: Reid, Martin.

Scorer(s): Hatfield (13), Campbell (59).

Cautions: Holness.

Referee: Sam Mulhall.

Assistants: Daniel Pattison; Mark Billingham.

Attendance: 1106.