Quakers win third pre -season friendly

By Ray Simpson

Quakers win third pre -season friendly

Quakers comfortably won their third pre-season friendly by 5-0 at Billingham Synthonia tonight.Darli...

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Quakers comfortably won their third pre-season friendly by 5-0 at Billingham Synthonia tonight.

Darlington manager Martin Gray gave every available player a run out in the game, and all of then looked as if they had benefitted from their weekend training at Catterick Garrison.

Starting team: Jameson, Marrs, Galbraith (sub Watson 35), Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Mitchell, Scott, Purewal, Cartman, Thompson.

 

Subs: Bell, Portas, Watson, Gaskell, Hardy, Nowakowski, Lovegreen, Saunders

 

Quakers took the lead after 4 minutes with a simple goal, when Adam Mitchell crossed from the right for Gary Brown to head past Synners keeper Guy Craggs from six yards.

They nearly got another on 16 minutes when Nathan Cartman knocked the ball to his right for Leon Scott to sidefoot at Craggs from ten yards.

Quakers were generally on top after that and put together some promising moves that unfortunately broke down in the Synners area. Synners were restricted to a break by Max Craggs, whose long range effort went a couple of yards wide.

Leon Scott forced keeper Craggs into a good save from a 25 yard free kick ten minutes before half time, then Amar Purewal put a good chance over the top from ten yards.

Just on half time, Mitchell again crossed well from the right, and a header by Kevin Burgess smacked against the crossbar.

 

Second half team: McLaren, H Scott, Watson, Portas, Burgess, Brown (sub Lovegreen 60) , Mitchell, Nowakowski, Gaskell, Hardy, Nightingale

Synners nearly levelled at the start of the second half. Jack McLaren wandered too far out of his goal, allowing Sam Garvie to lob him. Kevin Burgess cleared off the line, but the ball dropped for Max Craggs, whose attempt was blocked on the line by Gary Brown.

After Lee Gaskell had a shot from point blank range blocked by Guy Craggs, Quakers went 2-0 up with a terrific long range shot by Lewis Nightingale that flew past the keeper.

Centre half Mattie Lovegreen headed just over from an Adam Mitchell cross, and Liam Hardy broke clean through, but Craggs blocked his effort.

The third goal came along on 83 minutes, when Lee Gaskell cut in from the left, and struck a low shot into the bottom corner, and with four minutes left Adam Mitchell intercepted just outside the Synners area, ran on, and clipped the ball into the top corner.

Hardy scored a good goal to finish off, a powerful header from six yards out off a Nightingale cross.

 

Quakers' next friendly is at home to Newcastle XI on Saturday, then Sunderland next Tuesday, both games are at the Arena.

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