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Darlington 1 Chester 0

Goal: Main 50 mins.

Darlington recorded their fourth home win of the season thanks to a goal by Cedric Main against Chester.

There were chances at both ends with both keepers pulling off good saves in the first half, but Main kept his cool to grab the points for Quakers.

Here's the goal:

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/see-cedrics-goal-from-tonights-game

and here's Steve's post match interview

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/steve-we-worked-really-hard-tonight

Quakers had a chance to open the scoring after 5 minutes when Scott Barrow got to the bye line and pulled the ball back for Jack Maskell and then Ali Alshabeeb to have close range shots blocked.

At the other end, Pete Jameson had to punch away a right wing cross at full stretch, and then Jack Bainbridge hit the outside of the post with a low shot from twelve yards out.

Quakers had another chance when Cedric Main weaved his way into the box and set up Will Hatfield, whose low right foot shot was held by Elyh Harrison.

Quakers won a corner after 17 minutes on the left. The ball was curled in by Will McGowan but the keeper managed to punch the ball away.

Quakers nearly took the lead on 21 minutes when Will McGowan broke up the left and set up Maskell, who sidestepped a defender but fired left footed over the top.

Chester won a free kick on the left for a foul by Hatfield on 27 minutes, but Reece Daly curled the free kick over the bar.

Quakers went close again on 28 minutes when Cedric Main turned well outside the area and set up Alshabeeb, who moved inside and struck a left foot shot that went just wide of the right hand post.

Hatfield tried to catch out Harrison with a snapshot from 25 yards, but the keeper held on.

Jameson pulled off a good save to deny Daly at his near post, but the chances kept coming at the other end, and Maskell headed just wide from a deep cross by Barrow.

A more difficult chance came Main’s way 25 yards out after Alshabeeb set him up, and his low shot was saved by the keeper.

Jameson pulled off the save of the half though, when he flew to his left to keep out a 25 yarder from Mitch Hancox that was heading for the top corner just on half time.

Half time: Darlington 0 Chester 0

Quakers had the first chance of the second half when McGowan found Barrow down the left, and the full back pulled the ball back for Main to put in a twisting header that Harrison saved.

Quakers took the lead on 50 minutes when Griffiths crossed into the area from the right, and the ball came out off a defender for Main to firmly beat Harrison from eight yards out, his second goal of the season.

Quakers had more control of the game after that, and they went close to a second when Will Flint crossed from the left for Maskell to be denied by Harrison.

However, Chester’s Will Hugill raced into a great position in the Darlington area, but then miskicked from a good position.

Chester made three subs to try and get back into the game and they pushed Quakers back briefly. Quakers though quickly recovered, and made their first sub when Caden Kelly replaced Main on 73 minutes and then a few minutes later Cameron Salkeld came on for Alshabeeb.

McGowan almost played Kelly in, but a defender just got a toe to the ball on the edge of the area

It looked now as if Quakers had regained control, and they defended well throughout the rest of the game.

Final score: Darlington 1 Chester 0

Team: Jameson, Griffiths, Forbes, Lees, Barrow, Flint, Hatfield, McGowan, Alshabeeb (sub Salkeld 79) Maskell, Main (sub Kelly 73)

Subs: Payne, Rivers, Leesley

Bookings: Hatfield, Alshabeeb, Salkeld

Chester: Harrison, Burke, Rawlinson, Peers, Caton, Woodthorpe, Hugill, Pollock, Hancox, Bainbridge, Daly

Subs: Hunter, Willoughby, Turner, Murray, Roberts