Mickleover 1 Darlington 5.

New signing Lee Gaskell scored a superb hat trick in twelve minutes to earn Quakers their fourth away win of the season.

The victory was a stark contrast to last week’s home defeat by Marine, and puts Quakers into second place in the table.

Quakers started the game well. Gaskell cleverly beat his man, but his low shot was pushed around the post by Mickleover keeper Ross Atkins, then Gaskell set up Adam Mitchell who fired just wide.

Quakers took the lead on 17 minutes, when Atkinson saved from Mitchell, and from the following corner that followed from Terry Galbraith, Nathan Cartman scored his sixth goal of the season with a header at the near post.

[caption id="attachment_13931" align="alignnone" width="300"] Quakers celebrate Nathan Cartman's goal[/caption]

Quakers continued to create chances, and Atkins again made a good save from Mitchell.

Quakers deservedly went 2-0 up when Gaskell cleverly set up Stephen Thompson, who fired past Atkins.

[caption id="attachment_13934" align="alignnone" width="300"] Stephen Thompson fires the second[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_13932" align="alignnone" width="300"] Stephen Thompson celebrates his goal[/caption]

Mickleover nearly pulled a goal back before half time, but Darlington keeper Peter Jameson saved from John McGrath, who had broken away from the Darlington defence.

Quakers killed off any hopes Mickleover had of a fightback at the start of the second half, and it was 3-0 on 52 minutes when Leon Scott caught the home defence with a free kick to Cartman, who played the ball on for Gaskell to fire home his first goal for the club.

[caption id="attachment_13933" align="alignnone" width="297"] Leon Scott and Nathan Cartman congratulate Lee Gaskell on his first goal[/caption]

And just a few minutes later, Gaskell scored the goal of the match , a superb acrobatic volley from a right wing cross by Mitchell.

[caption id="attachment_13935" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lee Gaskell acrobatically volleys the fourth[/caption]

The unstoppable Maskell then completed a 12 minute hat trick when Graeme Armstrong laid off a Thompson cross for him to fire home.

[caption id="attachment_13936" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lee Gaskell celebrates his hat trick[/caption]

Mickleover pulled a goal back through Andy Dales following a mistake by Alan White, but Quakers held on comfortably.

Team:

Darlington: Jameson, Gibbons, Galbraith (sub Watson), White, Burgess, Scott, Mitchell, Turnbull, Gaskell (sub Youhill), Cartman (sub Armstrong), Thompson

Subs not used: Walton, Provett

 Attendance 456

 Booking: Scott

Pics by Tim Hickman