Darlington won their third away game of the season with a comfortable victory over bottom of the table Ramsbottom, and moved to the top of the table.

Nathan Cartman nearly put Quakers ahead early on when hit the post, but the assistant’s flag went up for offside.

However, there was no doubt in Quakers’ next attack, when Graeme Armstrong, on his return to the side after illness, intercepted a poor back pass and slotted the ball past Grant Shenton in the Ramsbottom goal.

Quakers nearly made it 2-0, but Shenton saved at point blank rage from Cartman from an Armstrong pass.

Ramsbottom didn’t offer much in attack with the Quakers’ defence well on top.

Quakers went 2-0 up on 63 minutes, when Rob Youhill, who was starting his first game for the club since his summer move, beat the Ramsbottom keeper with a low shot from outside the box that went in off the post.

Quakers stayed well in control after that, and Cartman nearly scored a third from Youhill’s cross.

But the striker got the goal he deserved in the last minute, when Stephen Thompson played the ball through to him, and he easily beat the keeper.

Quakers then learned that they had gone top of the table because Nantwich failed to win at Colwyn Bay.

Darlington:

Jameson, Hunter, Galbraith, Portas, Burgess, White, Youhill (sub Gibbons, Turnbull (sub Scott), Armstrong (sub Mitchell), Cartman, Thompson

Subs not used:

Watson, Provett