Jordan Connerton got all three as Quakers uncharacteristically crumbled, the team with the best away record in division conceding more than two goals in a league game for the first time this season.

Mid-table Kendal had conceded ten goals in their previous two games, but Darlington started dreadfully with the first goal coming after two minutes.

It came after their corner, which Kendal cleared and went on the counter-attack. Darlington enough men back and goalkeeper Peter Jameson parried a close-range shot after Craig Carney's cross from the left, but Connerton was on hand to tap home the loose ball.

And it was 2-0 on nine minutes, Connerton breaking a flimsy offside trap. He took a touch to meet Aaron Heliwell's long pass over the top to take the ball beyond Jameson and pass into the net.

White and Hunter have formed a solid partnership at the centre of defence with the team having kept 14 clean sheets, but Brown was preferred today.

However his back-pass to Jameson led to Kendal’s third on 15 minutes. A lack of understanding between the pair, highlighting the fragility nature of Darlington’s defence during what had been a shocking start, led to Connerton nipping in and completing a hat-trick.

Before play could restart Gray substituted Brown, replacing him with Hunter. A humiliating move for Brown and, perhaps, an admission from the manager that he had made the wrong team selection.

While the scoreline was disappointing, Quakers had hope due to there being so long left in the game while the hosts’ poor defensive record offered encouragement. Prior to today they had scored conceded 19 goals in their previous eight games.

Darlington began to show signs of recovery, putting Kendal under pressure, but they needed a goal before half-time to really give themselves a chance.

Nathan Cartman had a shot parried by the keeper, Armstrong put the follow-up wide and Stephen Thompon’s had a volley saved.

Darlington had been given a good shellacking in a first 15 minutes littered with uncharacteristic defensive errors, but they had recovered well and the message at half-time to the players will have been to get at Kendal the start of the second period.

Unusually, the manager got the players to together on the pitch for a brief team-talk before the restart, and although his side bossed possession they initially found clear chances hard to come by.

Liam Hatch came on, replacing right-back Andrew Cartwright on 49 minutes, and that heralded a formation change to three at the back.

His first touch was powerful a header, saved by the keeper, after a corner.

Kendal keeper Alex Cameron dealt with every cross and occasional shot Darlington managed, and it was not until midway through the second half that Quakers finally found the net.

Ian Watson was the unlikely source, netting his first goal for the club and a remarkable one it was too, a right-footed effort in off the post from outside the penalty area.

At 3-1 with 23 minutes to play, plus injury-time, Darlington rallied as they sensed an almighty comeback and created a flurry of chances against a team that got ten men behind the ball when Quakers were on the ball.

Left-winger Nelson Mota drilled an effort into the advertising hoardings when he should have smashed the ball into a crowded six-yard box, and then Cartman was guilty of an awful miss.

After Hatch’s cross from the right rebounded off the post, an open goal opened up for the striker, but Cartman hit his shot into the ground and a relieved goalkeeper was able to collect the ball with ease.

Opportunities continued to come and go Quakers’ way. They had Kendal under the cosh and Tom Portas leathered the ball just wide of the keeper’s goal before the Cumbrians escaped again when Mota crossed to the far post, only to see Hatch’s downwards header go wide.

Terry Galbraith was next to have a pop, his powerful blast being pushed over by Cameron, but from the resulting corner the in-form keeper was unable to stop White’s flicked header with five minutes to go.

Darlington suddenly had a real chance, but just when they sensed completing the turnaround, suddenly defeat had been all but confirmed when, within 60 seconds, Kendal added a fourth with one of their rare sights of goal in the second period.

It was a cracking strike by Byron Andrews, though some believed he had fouled Hunter in the build-up, looping home from the corner of penalty area.

At 4-2 down there was no comeback for Quakers, who now drop to second, three points adrift of Salford City.

Darlington are next in action on Tuesday at Farsley, when they hope to prove today’s result was nothing more than an aberration.

Goals: Connerton (2, 1-0), Connerton (9, 2-0), Connerton (15, 3-0); Watson (67, 3-1), White (85, 3-2); Andrews (86, 4-2)

Bookings: Thomas (41, foul)

Referee: Paul Kettlewell

Attendance: 584

Kendal Town (4-5-1): Cameron; Henry, Mercer, Forbes Thomas; Mason (Clark 74), Helliwell, Watson, Carney; Andrews; Connerton. Subs (not used): Kelleher, Fishwick, Johnstone

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson; Cartwright (Hatch 49), White, Brown (Hunter 16), Watson; Thompson, Portas, Galbraith, Mota; Cartman, Armstrong (Dowson 57). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Scott

Match report courtesy of the Northern Echo.