Darlington 3 Altrincham 1

Darlington moved to within a point of the play offs thanks to victory over bottom club Altrincham.

Mark Beck scored his 13th league goal of the season after 2 minutes, and that was followed by a rasping shot by Josh Falkingham with his first for the club, then Terry Galbraith converted the first successful Darlo penalty at Blackwell Meadows near the end.

Quakers went close after 2 minutes when Josh Falkingham crossed low from the left, and John Cyrus sliced a clearance over his own crossbar.

Quakers scored from the corner that followed. David Ferguson curled the corner into the box where David Syers helped the ball on for Mark Beck to prod home at the far post for his 13th league goal of the season.

Quakers had another chance on 9 minutes when Chris Hunter made a good run down the right and crossed into the middle where Nathan Cartman twisted well and headed just over the bar.

Quakers caused problems with a long throw by Gary Brown on 13 minutes that was helped on by Kev Burgess for Beck to head just wide.

But Altrincham nearly scored with their first shot at goal on 17 minutes, when Elliot Newby found space and 25 yards out and aimed for the bottom corner, but Ed Wilczynski got down well low to his left and pushed the shot away.

Quakers had a goal disallowed on 23 minutes when Stephen Thompson outpaced his marker down the right, pulled the ball back for Cartman to hit towards goal, and Beck put it in the net, but the assistant’s flag went up offside.

Quakers went 2-0 up on 28 minutes when Beck helped on a long clearance for Josh Falkingham to race through and beat Tim Deasy with a powerful low left foot shot, his first Quakers goal.

But Altrincham pulled a goal back on 33 minutes when Wilczynski could only parry a left foot shot by James Lawrie, and Elliot Newby put the ball into the net.

Quakers hit the bar just on half time, when Beck headed Ferguson’s corner down for Brown to head against the bar.

Attendance 1423

Newby had the first chance of the second half, a right foot shot that went a couple of yards over the top.

Altrincham were forced into a sub on 52 minutes when Tim Deasy went off injured and was replaced by Andrew Jones.

The game had a few chances after that until the 78^th minute, when Ferguson was tripped by Sam Heathcote and the referee pointed to the spot, from where Terry Galbraith sent the keeper the wrong way  – the first successful Darlo penalty at Blackwell Meadows.

It was nearly 4-1 when Thompson crossed for Beck to head goalwards, but Jones tipped the ball over.

Wilczynski, Hunter, Ferguson, Turnbull (sub Galbraith 70), Burgess, Brown, Falkingham, Syers, Beck, Cartman (sub Gillies 75), Thompson

Subs :

Bell, Hardy, Scott

Booking: Beck, Falkingham

Altrincham

Deasy (sub Jones 52), Lynch, Brownhill (McWilliams 71), Heathcote, Cyrus, Taylor, Newby, Richman, Evans, Lawrie (Palma 86), Clee

Subs: Patterson, Reeves