Our Women’s team paid the penalty for missed chances when they were beaten by Pools Youth for the second successive week, this time by 3-1.

Chloe Ryan scored Quakers goal from the penalty spot, but their finishing let them down overall and they missed enough chances to earn at least a draw.

Manager Shaun MacKenzie said; “It was another frustrating day for us today. Things just didn’t go our way and nothing seems to be falling for us recently. We’ve put another decent performance in during the first half and come away with zero points again. We created enough chances to win the game and on another day it would have gone our way. Fair play to Pools Youth again who took their chances and managed the game well. 

“Sometimes you need that little bit of luck to go your way and we certainly haven’t had that in the past few weeks. But we have no excuses today, we know we can do better and we will keep trying to put things right. I would be worried if we were not creating chances, but we are still creating chances and not playing badly, so the goals and the results will come, I’m sure of it.”

Match Report by Chris Barrett 

On the quarter hour mark Darlington came close when some good build up play set the ball up for a shot from Chloe Ryan who struck low to the keeper’s right but it was well saved and turned away. 

It was Ryan involved again five minutes later when she pressured the defender who lost the ball for Hattie Raine to steal in and get a shot away but it was within the keeper’s reach for her to save. 

It was only a minute later when Aimee Dagnall picked up the ball and a measured pass over the defence allowed Raine to get in again but this time her shot was just wide. 

On the half hour mark good pressure from Nicole Graham allowed the ball to be played into Sara Ellis who struck just wide. 

It was against the run of play on 35 minutes when Pools were given too much space after the ball was stolen in the middle of the park and this allowed a free effort at goal and the ball was lifted over the keeper and in for a Pools lead. Just before the half time, Pools had another opportunity with a free kick just outside the box but it was well saved by Hannah Billingham who also managed to hold on to the ball. 

Darlington again were to start after the break and when the ball was failed to be cleared out of the box and the striker was allowed too much space, she was allowed a free shot to double Pools’ lead. Darlington were still competing well but again were failing to create clear chances or finish them. 

After 76 minutes a lunge in the box caught the Pools player on the ball and a penalty was awarded. The penalty was struck hard but pinged off the underside of the bar and it came out for Billingham to jump on and claim it. 

Five minutes later Darlington had a penalty of their own when Raine burst into the box and a pools defender handled the ball on the floor for the referee to point to the spot. It was Chloe Ryan who stepped up to calmly slot the ball into the bottom corner and get a goal back for Darlington and game on. 

Darlington needed to capitalise on this but it was disaster two minutes later when the defence were not out in unison and this left a gap in the middle for the striker to slip through and put the ball in to finish off the game. 

There was a late strike from Ryan who came close but it was really well saved and tipped over the bar from distance. Pools saw the game out and it was another disappointing defeat in which Darlington had chances to get the goals which could have got the points for Darlington but again were just not clinical enough when required. 

Player of the match was again Emma Carter who continually worked up and down giving the option down the left hand side.