Darlington 1 York City 2

Quakers wasted a good first half by conceding twice at the start of the second half, to give Martin Gray the points on his return to Blackwell Meadows.

Quakers put in a good shift in the first half and finished the half well by taking the lead through Reece Styche's sixth goal since he joined, but a sloppy goal and a disputed penalty soon after the restart gave York the points.

Quakers had the first chance of the game, a ball into the box found David Syers, who fired over from an acute angle.

York then failed to deal with a high bouncing ball into their box, and Reece Styche nodded the ball back for Terry Galbraith to volley over.

On 8 minutes Darlington keeper James Talbot then went bravely in at the feet of Amari Morgan-Smith to punch the ball away, and received treatment.

Quakers were awarded a free kick for a foul on Greg Mills 25 yards out, and Joe Wheatley curled the ball over the wall but just wide.

Parkin put the ball in the back of the bet on 15 minutes when he turned in a left wing cross, but he was flagged for offside.

Darlo also scored at the other end when Bartlett parried a shot by Syers and Styche netted, but the flag went up.

York were forced to make a sub on 19 minutes when Jon Burn went off and was replaced by Dan Parslow.

Greg Mills nearly opened the scoring on 27 minutes when he picked the ball up on the left, moved inside past two men and struck a low shot that went just wide.

And another chance came along when Galbraith crossed for Brown to head just over.

York had an opportunity when a cross came over from the right and Parkin headed over the top.

Goal!! Quakers took the lead two minutes before half time when Styche ran with the ball into the York box, and even though tehre were two defenders on him, hit a left foot shot past Bartlett off the underside of the bar. What a goal! His sixth for Quakers.

Half time

Darlington 1 York City 0

York levelled straight after the restart. Quakers didn’t get the ball away from isndie their own box, and the ball came out for Sean newton to drive past Talbot.

York went 2-1 up after 51 minutes. Quakers were caught on the counter attack and Connolly raced through one-on-one into the penalty area. He went down after a challenge by Talbot and the ref awarded a penalty that Parkin scored, but Quakers were furious with the award.

When play restarted, Thompson made a good run and his left foot shot was well saved by Bartlett.

York though nearly went 3-1 up with a deflected shot by Morgan-smith that went wide,then Newton ran through but shot straight at Talbot

Thompson tried to lift Quakers by cutting from the left, he got to the edge of the box and his low shot was saved by Bartlett, then Galbraith curled a free kick just over the top.

With seven minutes left, Thompson was agonisingly close with a dipping free kick that went just wide of the post, to sum up a frustrating afternoon for Quakers.

Attendance 2405

Darlington:

Talbot, Collins (sub Portas 70), Heaton, Brown, Thompson, Galbraith, Wheatley, Syers, Mills, Styche, Saunders

Subs: Caton, Scott, Turnbull, Gillies

York City

Bartlett, Law, Ferguson, Bencherif, Burn, Moke, Newton, Pattinson, Parkin, Morgan-Smith, Connolly

Subs: Rowe, Simpson, Parslow, McAllister, Gray