Darlington reserves lost their penultimate pre season game by 2-1 at Guisborough on Saturday.

Quakers were beaten by a second half winner, but the major plus to come out of the game was another encouraging performance by midfielder Tom Portas.

Joint reserve team manager Mark Fanning said; "Tom was more confident and stronger than he was in our friendly at Seaham Red Star on Tuesday night. He's slowly building his stamina -- he put in a good shift."

All the goals came in the second half, Guisborough's lead was cancelled out by a goal from Johnny Hope, but the Northern League side scored the winner. Nathan Stephenson hit the bar for Quakers.

"We gifted Guisborough both their goals," said MF. "There was some bad defending for the first one, and we didn't clear the ball for the second.

"But apart from that, I thought we matched them and there wasn't much between the two teams, maybe apart from the fact that they had a little more quality in the final third.

"It was another encouraging performance against a team that plays in a higher league than us."

The reserves next outing is at Shildon Railway on Tuesday night, and then they start their Wearside League season on Saturday at Prudhoe.