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Darlington V Southport

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 6:06 pm
by Darlopartisan
Tough game ahead, last result, holidays and injuries will add some uncertainty, however we still have a good squad capable of getting something from the game. Weather will be ok tomorrow so hopefully we can get a decent crowd in and get the same support the team had against Kettering.
Southport are having a good start to the season, let’s end that on Saturday .

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:31 pm
by HarrytheQuaker
And haven't conceded a goal yet so let's hope we get one or two

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Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:56 pm
by OnTheTerraces
I think he has to bring Tez back in and Donawa for Thommo. I’d say that’s not a vastly weakened team from the one that beat Kettering. I think Atkinson isn’t fully fit,wouldn’t be surprised to see him get 10-20 minutes.

2-1 Rivers, Campbell

Mom - Hatfield

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:51 pm
by Mister e
Didn't realize its been almost a decade since we beat Southport 1 0 at the arena a last minute winner from John McCreadie .

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:51 pm
by Mister e
Didn't realize its been almost a decade since we beat Southport 1 0 at the arena a last minute winner from John McCreadie .

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 6:41 am
by darlobaz791
I think AA will put Galbraith back in for Heaton and Justin on for Tommo with Cam Holliday coming onto the bench.

I would put Lids over to LB and bring Holliday in taking out Watson but AA won’t do that.

Elliot, Liddle, Watson, Laing, Galbraith, Rivers, Donawa, Bascome, Hatfield, O Neill, Campbell
Subs Heaton, Bell, Wheatley, Holliday, Holness

Big game today but I reckon JD will score along with Campbell in a 2-2 draw

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:41 am
by LoidLucan
They are a big, strong, physical, full-time Liam Watson side and their fans are very confident of extending their great start to the season with a victory. However, I don't expect many of them will be travelling to watch it as plans to run a supporters coach were scrapped due to lack of demand. Didn't they once beat us 7-0 at Feethams? There's a score to settle :evil:

Just checked out that 7-0 mauling. It was a fog-bound game in the 1972-73 season in front of a huge 1,088 crowd... must have been the good old days at Feethams! Thankfully not many could see it through the fog apparently.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 2:55 pm
by Darlopartisan
Well we are 2 up at ht and playing some good football

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 2:57 pm
by Darlopartisan
O’Neill and penalty from Campbell

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 3:56 pm
by tdk1
2-0 full time. Tremendous result. How did we play? And how did liddle look?

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:05 pm
by Darlopartisan
Liddle did not look good, took a knock tried to play on but had to be subbed.
Excellent performance everyone put some real effort into that result

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:11 pm
by HarrytheQuaker
Great performance, Hopefully the crowd will return especially the football we are playing they deserve the support.. And How good Is O'Neil and Hatfield by the way??

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Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:29 pm
by real_darlo_85
Great result. Maybe this time we will be able to follow it up at Altrincham next weekend. Good to see the goals starting to be shared around and after last Monday's defensive nightmares a clean sheet as well.

A little disappointed with the attendance but I am hopeful of being able to get to a few more matches this season, starting with Bradford PA on bank holiday Monday, so at least one or two more on the gates. :thumbup:

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:32 pm
by Darlo_Pete
Excellent performance for two weeks in a row at home, against a team that was in red hot form. I agreed with the MOTM, Hatfield is a real star and a real box to box player.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:36 pm
by LoidLucan
In terms of organisation, workrate, solidity and cutting out mistakes, probably our best peformance when you look at how powerfully Southport had started the season. Even had to cope with a major defensive reorganisation after what may well be another serious injury, this time with Liddle on crutches. Excellent all-round performance, soft penalty mind. We've got a good un in O'Neill as well, workrate, energy and skill all spot on. He gave their giant, grizzled defender plenty to think about and his time with us will do wonders for his development.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:39 pm
by tdk1
LoidLucan wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:36 pm
In terms of organisation, solidity and cutting out mistakes, probably our best peformance when you look at how powerfully Southport had started the season. Even had to cope with a major defensive reorganisation after what may well be another serious injury, this time with Liddle on crutches. Excellent all-round performance, soft penalty mind. We've got a good un in O'Neill as well, workrate, energy and skill all spot on.
You are joking...

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:41 pm
by LoidLucan
Fraid not. Big icepack on his knee, so we'll need everything crossed.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:47 pm
by tdk1
Christ, we're low on luck, aren't we?

Still, we had a stronger bench today than at any point last season. Can you imagine what a couple of serious injuries would have meant eight months or so ago?

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:50 pm
by LoidLucan
The good news is Wheatley came on and Atkinson must be getting close now as he was on the bench. We'll eventually need loans if we keep losing players like this every game.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:40 pm
by leedscol
LoidLucan wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:41 am
They are a big, strong, physical, full-time Liam Watson side and their fans are very confident of extending their great start to the season with a victory. However, I don't expect many of them will be travelling to watch it as plans to run a supporters coach were scrapped due to lack of demand. Didn't they once beat us 7-0 at Feethams? There's a score to settle :evil:

Just checked out that 7-0 mauling. It was a fog-bound game in the 1972-73 season in front of a huge 1,088 crowd... must have been the good old days at Feethams! Thankfully not many could see it through the fog apparently.
Hah I remember we finished the year losing 7-0 at home to Southport and started the next year losing 7-0 away to Bradford City. Memorable days

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 6:55 pm
by Mister e
It we're tother way round Southport was in early January

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:29 pm
by Darlogramps
Excellent performance today against a side who’ll be top 10 come the end of the season in my opinion which makes it more satisfying than the Kettering win.

O’Neil is improving with every game and offers us something our other forwards don’t. And as said so many times before, Hatfield was outstanding, providing the grit and determination we’ve missed for the last 18 months.

Overall, a solid start for a team with a brand new squad. Altrincham and King’s Lynn away look tricky but our next two home games are Bradford PA and Blyth, which look eminently winnable.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:33 pm
by Breedon
That was the blue print on exactly how to beat a big, physical side. Very satisfying as that sort of team have tormented us for years now. Knocked it around beautifully early on, made the big lads get tired chasing it, got the goals and then killed the game off looking organized and comfortable for the most part at the back. Couple of little shaky half moments but another home game where the opposition didn't really create anything. Thing Laing deserves a shout for his performance today after getting some daft stick in the first 2 games, but the lads in the middle and up front were excellent. The football is lovely to watch in patches but the constant tireless graft and the way they all high five and hug at the end of 90 minutes of running through brick walls for each other...we have the foundation of a proper team who will be great fun to support!

Only negative is obviously the injury to Liddle which we really can't afford!

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 8:09 pm
by Hoops4eva
I remember the 7-0 mauling by Southport. It came a week after we lost 7-0 away at Bradford. Phil Owers made his debut in goal and if it wasnt for him it could have been double figures.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:05 pm
by H1987
Made it up for my first game this season, and needless to say i'm delighted.

It is night and day from last year. You don't need to be there really to see the depth and options on the bench. Although no back up keeper does make me a little nervous, i will admit.

Anyway. A brief review; Massively impressed with the lads from Blyth. I thought they were all technically excellent. Good footballers. The squad, even with a couple of major injuries is in a good place. Rivers is a handful, and his movement is impressive. That said, i thought the penalty was a dive...

MOTM - Hatfield. By an absolute mile. He was standout. If we had him the past few years, i think our seasons would've been markedly less depressing. He's exactly what we need in there. I do, actually, think Holness is good in that role as well - and thought he was good in his ten minute cameo.

I thought Liddle was excellent before his injury. We have to hope he's ok, i thought he was up there with Hatfield in terms of contribution. Watson was very solid, and considering he is clearly right footed, thought he was very comfortable at left back. O'Neill looks a hell of a player. Very strong for a lad of slight build, but again, a technically gifted player. They were a big, physical team, and rather than being intimidated by it, he looked like he was enjoying himself. The times he was getting it from all sides and still came away with the ball were impressive.

I like the look of Donowa. Bascombe was less impressive today, for me. Gave the ball away a few times, and again it was quite physical which maybe didn't suit him. I think Omar would've been the better option for this game, but thankfully it didn't matter today. I can see why you'd play Bascombe as he's a different kind of player - i thought it was impressive to see Hatfield leading in the middle and communicating well with him. He was also unlucky not to score with that free kick.

We have real reason to be optimistic I think. There's plenty of talent in this squad, and here is hoping we can nab a playoff spot. I thought the crowd was a little bit disappointing, in spite of a decent away following. Especially given it was a nice day today.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:29 pm
by Gow9900
Superb performance today, every player put a shift in and some of the football at times was a joy to watch. The work rate from the whole team was insane, the fitness levels compared to last season is on another level altogether.

Disappointing crowd, we should be getting 1500 at home games in my opinion. If we are to progress as a club we need more bodies through the gate, but we can’t seem to get the numbers up, 1300 in today and Southport must have had 50 - 100 there, so 1200 home fans is disappointing.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:15 pm
by real_darlo_85
I know it's early in the season but just for a bit of continuous comparison, am I right in thinking that we have more points at this stage than at this point last year after 5 matches?

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:52 pm
by LoidLucan
H1987 wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:05 pm
Watson was very solid, and considering he is clearly right footed, thought he was very comfortable at left back.
Just to point out, Watson is left-footed and was in his natural left-back position. Liddle is the one playing out of his normal position, having to switch from the left-back slot to right-back.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:19 pm
by H1987
Really!? If anything then, he is remarkably two footed. He used his right foot repeatedly, to a point where he had convinced me he was right footed.

I know Liddle was out of position, but he was excellent. I know Watson is a utility man, but thought he was right footed. Shows what I know eh. Both were excellent, but particularly Liddle I thought.

Re: Darlington V Southport

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:27 pm
by LoidLucan
It's great that we've got Liddle who can do a very good job on the left or right and Watson who can play at left back or as a central defender if needed.