Gateshead 2-2 Darlo

by Kevin Luff - 9th March 2011

Darlington finished the first of a triple header of games with Gateshead with a 2-2 draw. The visitors edged much of this encounter at the International Stadium and found themselves two goals to the good at the half time interval. However Darlington tired badly towards the end of the match and in the end followed the predictable script which has become so familiar this season by conceding a last gasp leveller during injury time.

Gateshead had been in decent form with only one defeat in their last ten matches but Mark Cooper's side appeared to be cruising towards all three points as the second half started. Goals from Ian Miller and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson put Darlington in a commanding position before the break. The visitors coped with the gusty conditions well and looked comfortable for much of the second period. However they started to come under more pressure after Gateshead pulled a goal back from the spot and in the end the equaliser was the same old story.

Both sides started the match brightly and each of them passed up an opportunity to score within seconds of each other. Darlington hit the underside of the crossbar through Michael Smith from an Aaron Brown cross. Gateshead promptly raced up the other end and Richard Offiong tested Sam Russell in the Quakers' goal. The Darlington shot stopper was equal to it but the gusty conditions meant that clear chances were difficult to find for either side.

Darlington though edged proceedings and just before half time dealt a double blow to the hosts. An excellent free-kick from Brown was missed by Aman Verma but Miller was on hand to slot home. Soon afterwards one goal became two. Darlington were helped massively by the wind as Bridge-Wilkinson's free-kick was sent into the box. Gateshead keeper Tim Deasy struggled to get a hold of the ball and allowed it to go through his hands and into the back of the net.

Quakers did well after the break and comfortably kept Gateshead at arms length. The hosts looked unlikely to be able to pull themselves back into contention but were handed a chance from the spot on seventy-one minutes. Nathan Fisher ran at the Darlington defence who backed off. Instead of taking care of the run outside of the eighteen yard box he was adjudged to have been fouled by Verma as he entered the penalty area. It allowed Martin Brittain to lash home the resulting spot kick.

Gateshead enjoyed a decent spell after the goal but Darlington reigned them back in. Adam Rundle though did fire narrowly wide from the edge of the area. Quakers though started to show signs of flagging towards the end but looked to have done enough to win the game. However the wearily predictable ending soon reared its ugly head deep into stoppage time as Darlington let the result slip out of their hands.

A Brittain corner was not dealt with properly and it allowed Ben Clark to force the ball home for a Gateshead equaliser. It left the large travelling support from County Durham deflated and meant that Darlington missed the opportunity to close the gap between themselves and the play-offs down to just six points. Having done much of the hard work in this encounter it was another difficult result to take. However it is a measure of how far Darlington have come since the turn of the year that supporters are left disappointed by this latest outcome. Quakers must now pick themselves up in time for the two FA Trophy games which start this coming weekend.

Gateshead: Deasy, Tavernier, Jones, Clark, Liddle, Brittain, Turnbull, Winn (Marwood 75), Rundle (Baptist 85), Offiong, Fisher. Subs Not Used: Farman, Baxter, Gillies.

Darlington: Russell, Arnison, Miller, Quinn, Brown, Gary Smith, Chandler, Verma, Hatch, Bridge-Wilkinson, Michael Smith. Subs Not Used: St Louis-Hamilton, Wright, Senior, McReady, Taylor.

Gateshead bookings: Clark, Liddle.

Darlington bookings: Arnison, Bridge-Wilkinson.

Goals: Miller 44th min (1-0), Bridge-Wilkinson 45th min (2-0), Brittain 71st min (pen)(2-1), Clark 90th min (2-2).

Att: 1,204

Words by Kevin Luff.

Comments

Add your own in our forum