Stockport 3 Darlington 3

Quakers came from behind three times to earn a deserved point in a pulsating tussle against their promotion rivals at Edgeley Park.

Yet again, Quakers showed that they never know when they're beaten, and they grabbed a point with a late header by Mark Beck.

It was a real blood and thunder game, reminiscent of the old games in the Football League between the two clubs.

Stockport forced an early corner, but when the ball came in, it was too high for Michael Clarke.

Quakers then had a couple of attacks with the ball aimed for Beck, but the striker was crowded out.

After leon Scott was booked for a foul, there was a scramble in the Darlington box and Danny Llloyd fired wide.

But Quakers replied when a free kick from a foul on Cartman came out to the edge of the box, where Phil Turnbull was just off target with a left foot shot.

Stockport’s recent signing Elliott Osbourne nearly gave them the lead on 17 minutes, when he sidestepped two challenges and hit a right foot drive that went a yard wide of the left hand post.

Stockport took the lead on 24 minutes, when Osbourne delivered a perfect cross from the right and Lloyd headed in off the post into the net.

And it was nearly 2-0 when Lloyd bent a free kick over the Darlington wall against the post and fortunately for Quakers the flag went up for offside as Stockport tried to take advantage.

Quakers levelled on 33 minutes, beck was fouled about 30 yards out, Quakers sent the big men up into the box, and Gillies curled the free kick over the lot of them and into the net! 1-1.

But Stockport regained the lead on 36 minutes when Lloyd curled a corner into the near post, but Jameson couldn’t keep it out.

Lloyd was on for his hat trick when he skipped through, but Jameson saved. But from Jameson’s clearance, the ball was helped on for Stephen Thompson to coolly control, and hit a right foot shot across the keeper into the net.

Half time Darlington 2 Stockport 2

Stockport had the first chance of the second half when Lloyd got round the back of the defence and pulled the ball back for Marsden, who fired wide.

Quakers almost took the lead on 56 minutes. Gary Brown’s long throw came out to the edge of the box from where Scott volleyed first time, and Cartman nearly diverted the ball in.

Quakers then put Ferguson on for Thompson, but they fell behind on 72 minutes when sub Jimmy Ball forced the ball home from a right wing corner.

But Quakers nearly levelled again when Beck got away, but Hinchliffe tipped his shot over the bar.

However, they broke through again on 86 minutes. Falkingham and Turnbull opened up the space for Terry Galbraith to cross from the right for Beck to head in.

And in the last minute, Stockport nearly won it when the ball rebounded from a Darlington tackle to Ball twelve yards out, and he crashed the ball against the crossbar.

Team; Jameson, Hunter, Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess, Brown, Thompson (sub Ferguson 73), Scott (Syers 79), Beck, Cartman, Gillies (sub Falkingham 45)

Subs: Wilczynski, Walker

Booking: Scott, Burgess, Ferguson

Stockport

Hinchliffe, Minihan, Duxbury, Montose, Clarke, Smalley, Stopforth, Osbourne, Odejayi, Marsden, Lloyd

Subs: Ross, Ormson, Brazel, Ball, Felix

Referee: D McNamara

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