Darlington 4 FC United of Manchester 2

Quakers turned on the style to complete a great Easter weekend.

They scored three times in the first half , playing some great football along the way, with David Ferguson breaking his duck in spectacular style. Thanks to the three points at Alfreton on Saturday as well, Quakers are fourth in the table, level with Chorley but with a better goal difference, and a point behind Halifax. Quakers cannot finish any lower than eighth in the table at the end of the season.

Quakers had the first chance when Stephen Thompson got around his man on the right and forced a save out of Ryan Schofield.

Quakers scored from their next attack, when the ball came to David Ferguson 25 yards out, and he hit a blistering left foot shot that flew into the top corner past the helpless Schofield – his first goal for Quakers!

FC United hit back, and keeper Adam Bartlett had to dash off his line and save at the feet of Chris Chantler.

But Quakers went up the other end and nearly got a second with a shot by Josh Gillies that Schofield saved.

It was 2-0 on 13 minutes when Ferguson crossed well from the left for David Syers to head back for Mark Beck to head his 16th league goal of the season.

Bartlett had to be alert again when Kieran Glynn got through, but Bartlett blocked his shot with his outstretched hand.

Quakers were awarded a penalty on 26 minutes when Mark Beck was tripped by Jake Williams as he latched on to the ball in the area. The referee pointed to the spot from where Terry Galbraith tucked away the penalty, his 12th league goal of the season.

There followed a great flowing move involving five players, that ended with Gillies backheeling for Ferguson to have a shot well saved by Schofield.

And in Quakers’ next attack, Beck headed against the post. Quakers were threatening to run riot.

But FC United pulled a goal back on 34 minutes, when the Matthew Wolfenden got down the right and pulled the ball back for Tom Brown to swivel and place into the bottom corner.

It was nearly 4-1 though on 41 minutes. Gary Brown threw the ball long into the area, and Beck’s header towards goal landed on the roof of the net.

Half time

Darlington 3 FC United 1

Quakers had a half chance on 49 minutes when Gillies found Nathan Cartman on the left, and he tried to lift the ball over Schofield from the corner of the box, but the ball drifted wide.

Quakers were denied by Schofield on 56 minutes. Thompson crossed from the right, Brown nodded the ball down for Cartman, whose low shot was blocked by the outstretched leg of the keeper.

FC United missed a great chance to pull one back when Wolfenden nodded down a left wing cross for Brown ten yards out, but he swept the ball wide.

Another chance came along on 70 minutes when clever play by Beck allowed Cartman to send Ferguson up the left, and the full back’s first time shot was pushed around the post by Schofield..

Gary Brown went up to support his attack, and he went close with a header from a Thompson cross on 75 minutes that went just wide.

But FC United weren’t done, and they sub Tomi Adeloye found space inside the box and hit a right foot shot that Bartlett palmed over the bar.

The fourth goal finally came long when Brown controlled a cross from the right, played a 1-2 with Cartman, and slotted the ball in for his fifth league goal of the season.

But still FC United kept going, and Bartlett pulled off a good save low down from Wolfenden, and then Adeloye headed into the bottom left corner for 4-2.

Attendance was 2147, of which 287 were from FC United

Darlington:

Bartlett, Hunter, Ferguson, Turnbull (sub Falkingham 55), Galbraith (sub Marrs 46), Brown, Thompson (sub Scott 85), Syers, Beck, Cartman, Gillies

Subs: Wilczynski, Saunders

FC United

Schofield, Williams, Chantler, Kay, Fagbola, Ashworth, Glynn (sub Thomson 75), Sheridan, Greaves (sub Adeloye 64), Brown (sub Lowe 64), Wolfenden

Subs: Wright, Tonge