Darlington 1 Nuneaton Borough 2

Scorer: Edmunds (44 mins, 0-1), Nicholson (60 mins 1-1), Angus (70 mins 1-2).

Attendance 1064.

Quakers were beaten by a second half goal at home to Nuneaton.

However, the result could have been so much different if Quakers could have taken some other chances that came their way, especially in the first half and towards the end of the second. Nuneaton keeper Cameron Belford pulld off several good saves.

Quakers were given a free kick next to the corner flag in the second minute. The ball was floated over by Terry Galbraith for Harvey Saunders to head wide.

Then Saunders nipped in front of the keeper and was forced wide, and his pull back was just too far ahead of Thompson.

Kokolo then made a good run up to the left, but his left footed cross evaded everybody in the middle.

Quakers created a good chance on 6 minutes when Thompson turned well ten yards out, but his low shot was blocked by Cam Belford.

Nuneaton had a chance when Edmunds broke clear, but Maddison got down well and blocked his shot.

There was concern for Quakers on 12 minutes when Saunders left the field briefly for treatment to a shoulder injury.

Kokolo looked impressive on the left wing, and he hit a diagonal left foot shot that Belford parried, and Saunders, with his back to goal, hooked the ball over the top.

A patient build up from the halfway line ended with Thompson playing in Trotman, who checked on to his left foot, but his low shot was blocked.

Thompson and Trotman again combined well on the right and set up Nicholson whose shot on the turn was well saved by Belford.

Thompson hit the bar on 30 minutes when he dribbled past his man on the right, and chipped towards the far post, but the ball came back off the bar.

Nicholson then made a great run down the right, got to the bye line and drove the ball into the six yard box.

Nuneaton had a great chance when Edmunds broke down the right and pulled the ball back into the middle where McGurk got a touch to the ball, but Maddison just managed to stop the ball going over the line.

Quakers got a free kick for a foul on Nicholson just outside the corner of the box, but Wheatley’s free kick went just over the bar.

Quakers went a goal behind just before half time when a left wing cross came over to the far post where Edmunds chested the ball down and blasted past Maddison.

Quakers had a chance to equalise in stoppage time when O’Hanlon got to the bye line and crossed for Nicholson, whose header was just off target.

Half time 0-1

Quakers had a chance at the start of the second half, when Kokolo broke down the left and pulled the ball back into the middle, where a defender’s clearance rebounded off Nicholson and nearly went in.

But Nuneaton replied when Angus did well on the left and set up Baker, who fired just over the top.

At the other end, Galbraith curled a free kick into the box, but the ball drifted agonisingly wide.

Quakers levelled on the hour. Nicholson picked the ball up in midfield, ran to the edge of the box, and struck a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season.

But Nuneaton went back in front on 70 minutes, when Angus ran from midfield into the penalty area, and beat Maddison with a left foot shot.

Quakers had a penalty shout on 75 minutes when Thompson ran into the box and went down.

On 78 minutes, Kokolo turned his man inside out and hit a low shot that Belford saved, then Galbraith charged forward and had another shot saved by Belford.

More trickery on the left from Kokolo set up Saunders, whose first time shot went over.

Attendance 1064

Darlington: Maddison, Trotman, Jonny Burn, Galbraith, O'Hanlon, Wheatley, Elliott, Kokolo, Saunders, Nicholson, Thompson, Saunders

Subs not used: Glover, Aaron Burn, Lingthep, Lycett, Morrison

Booking: Jonny Burn, Wheatley, O’Hanlon

Nuneaton: 

Belford, Panayiotou, Kelly (sub Kelly-Evans 90+3), Addison, Calveley, Lyne, Morrison, Edmunds (sub Leek 46), Baker, McGurk, Angus,

Subs: Basso, Davies, Edobor

Booking: Panayiotou, Calveley, Kelly, Lyne

Attendance 1064