Today's match is sponsored by Badgers Nadgers

Darlington 1 Brackley 1

Campbell 42 mins, 1-0, Maye 76 mins, 1-1

Attendance 1183

Quakers were held to a 1-1 draw by Brackley at Blackwell Meadows -- but they could so easily have picked up three points.

Quakers played well against the wind in the first half and could have scored more than just once -- Jarrett Rivers was particularly unlucky -- but they couldn't score a crucial second goal.

After Brackley levelled through sub Simeon Maye, they had two penalty appeals turned down, one a particularly strong one for handball in stoppage time.

Adam Campbell sent Jarrett Rivers away against the wind after 4 minutes, but he was tackled when he got into the box.

Brackley had the first chance on 8 minutes. Lee Ndlovu controlled the ball inside the Darlington box and set up Dan Holman, whose low shot was saved by keeper Chris Elliott.

Quakers broke up the other end, and from the right Justin Donawa squared the ball for Omar Holness, about five yards outside the box, to curl a right foot shot into the keeper’s hands.

Brackley had a great chance on 10 minutes when a goal kick went over the Darlington defence on the wind for Ndlovu to flick into Elliott’s hands.

Quakers had a half chance on 25 minutes, when Donawa did well to cross from the right, and Rivers coming in at the far post at full stretch, headed wide.

Quakers nearly scored on 27 minutes. Holness found Rivers on the left, and the winger cut in and struck a low right foot shot that the keeper just managed to push around the post.

Rivers was again unlucky again on 35 minutes. He’d switched to the right a few minutes before, and Holness found him with a pass outside the box, and the winger hit a low left foot shot that went just wide of the post.

Brackley had a chance on 37 minutes when Ndlovu cut inside and struck a right foot shot that was deflected by Louis Laing over the top.

Quakers were awarded a penalty on 42 minutes when Rivers was brought down as he chased a loose ball inside the area away from goal. The referee pointed to the spot, from where Adam Campbell neatly scored his 14^th goal of the season, giving Lewis no chance.

Half time

Darlington 1 Brackley 0

Campbell tried his luck at the start of the second half with a 45 yard effort by Campbell on the wind,but Lewis easily saved in the Brackley goal.

Brackley had more urgency in the second half, and Holman had a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide for a corner.

Quakers nearly got a second on 62 minutes when Will Hatfield found Rivers on the left, and the winger’s left foot shot went agonisingly wide of the far post.

After Brackley made two subs, Quakers nearly made it 2-0 when Holness found Campbell on the right, and he floated a cross to the far post where Donawa headed into the keeper’s hands.

Brackley levelled on 76 minutes. Matt Lowe made a good run into the Darlington box, and when he was tackled, the ball ran loose for Simeon Maye, who had only been on the field for a couple of minutes, to drive left footed past Elliott

Quakers nearly got the winner when Michael Liddle curled a corner in from the right for Sean Reid, who had just come on as a sub, to head over the top.

Quakers had a penalty shout turned down when Maye seemed to climb all over Wheatley when he tried to head the ball away, then they had another for a handball in a goalmouth scramble.

Final score 1-1 

Darlington: Elliott, Hedley, Liddle, Wheatley, Laing, Storey, Rivers (sub Thompson 76), Hatfield, Campbell, Holness (sub Reid 85), Donawa

Subs: Watson, Martin, Atkinson

Bookings: None

Brackley: Lewis, Myles, Franklin, Byrne, Audel, Dean, Lowe, Murombedzi, Ndlovu, Holman (sub Maye 74), Baker (sub Armson 67)

Subs: Daire, Langmead, Smith

Bookings: Maye