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LOSING to Leek Town is still regarded as an ‘if only’ moment for Darlington supporters old enough to remember what was a bitterly disappointing defeat. It was in March 1990, the quarter-final of the FA Trophy, with Brian Little’s Quakers expected to progress past a team from a lower division, yet they suffered a shock 1-0 loss and the road to Wembley came to an abrupt halt. The missed opportunity rankles still, and Saturday’s defeat to Hornchurch will be filed in the same category, forever a source of regret. The difference in 1989-90 was that Quakers quickly healed those wounds by going on to win the much more significant Conference title, whereas in 2021 the Trophy was all Alun Armstrong’s team had to play for.
DARLINGTON'S Wembley hopes are over. They were favourites to win today’s FA Trophy quarter-final with Hornchurch, but were second best and lost 2-1 at Blackwell Meadows. Playing the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, Quakers simply never got going and now their season is over. With the National League North campaign null and void, Darlington had only the Trophy to play for and they hoped to celebrate their 2011 Trophy win by returning to Wembley, but those hopes have been dashed. Hornchurch started strongly and went ahead after 26 minutes, captialising on Darlington giving the ball away sloppily in midfield. Erico Sousa’s pass went straight to Remi Sutton, and he burst forward, exchanging passes before breaking into the penalty area and teeing up Liam Nash to sidefoot home.
LONDON CALLING was the choice of song as Darlington left the pitch on Saturday evening after easing into the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy with arguably their best performance of the season. It’s realistic to wonder if Quakers can mark the ten-year anniversary of their 2011 triumph with a Wembley return having outclassed Wealdstone, leaving Darlington two games from a potential final. The quarter-final draw takes place tomorrow, with the last-eight ties to be played on February 27 - if at all. Uncertainty and confusion abound over what will happen, with Darlington among those to have voted for the National League North campaign to be declared null and void.
A FRUSTRATED Darlington were beaten by a second-half goal as they lost 1-0 to Farsley Celtic at the Citadel. For the second game running, they found it tough going in breaking down a home defence which had ten men behind the ball after they took the lead from a free-kick. Luke Charman, on his return to the side, went close with a header early on, but Quakers’ keeper Johnny Saltmer stopped his side from going behind after seven minutes when Paddy Lane broke clean through, but the keeper pushed him wide, and Lane instead set up Jimmy Spencer, who fired over the top.
DARLINGTON manager Alun Armstrong admits that getting a result at Spennymoor’s Brewery Field will be a tough ask in his side’s return local derby this afternoon. The sides drew 0-0 at Blackwell Meadows in a wind-spoilt game of very few chances on Boxing Day, and Armstrong knows that his team will be in for another tough game today. “We know that we’re going to have a difficult game, and getting a result will be a tough ask,” said Armstrong. “We had a good win on Monday against Blyth, but so did they at Gateshead. They’ll be full of confidence with that win, but we know what to expect after playing them last week. Having said that, they know what to expect from us. Hopefully, we won’t have to deal with a gale-force wind.”
THERE have been numerous memorable matches between Darlington and Spennymoor Town. Quakers’ pivotal 3-1 win at the Brewery Field which helped win the Northern League in 2013, the pulsating play-off final in 2015, and Moors’ 3-1 success on New Year’s Day this year are among key contests in their rivalry. Saturday’s was not one of the classics, however. Not by a long shot. It was a competitive but scrappy, a largely forgettable draw as both sets of players battled the elements as well as each other. Or, as one club official put it: “90 minutes that I won’t get back.”