On Saturday Quakers travel across the Pennines in order to play Hyde United in the EvoStik League Premier Division. Darlington have played at Hyde's ground, Ewen Field before, back in the 1994-95 season in the FA Cup. Part time Hyde were in the Northern Premier League then, and full time Darlo were in the bottom division of the Football League, effectively two divisions between the clubs.

Here’s the Northern Echo match report of the game, written by a younger Ray Simpson.

FA Cup first round.

Hyde United 1 Darlington 3.

November 12^th 1994.

The era of the plastic pitch ended at Ewen Field on Saturday, but Darlington’s FA Cup hopes survived thanks to two goals by Gavin Worboys.

[caption id="attachment_15606" align="alignnone" width="200"] Gavin Worboys[/caption]

The on loan striker took his tally to four goals in a week, at a crucial time in the game, and he has now done enough to convince manager Alan Murray that he should attempt to make his move from Notts County permanent.

But for half an hour in the first half, Quakers were on course to be one of the first round shocks, as they struggled to come to terms with the Northern Premier League club’s artificial surface.

Bernie Slaven’s equaliser settled a few nerves leaving Worboys to do the rest with a little help from Mike Pollitt whose penalty save capped a superb performance.

[caption id="attachment_15607" align="alignnone" width="158"] Mike Pollitt[/caption]

Murray was scathing in his criticism of the pitch. The surface has been outlawed by the FA from next season. Two hours before kick off, there were at least a dozen large pools of water on the pitch, while on other places patches of mud and sand. It also showed distinct signs of wear and tear.

“The pitch was absolutely shocking,” blasted Murray, “and a lottery for anybody trying to get through to the third round of the Cup.

“Like a lot of clubs in our position, we need to reach the big boys. We only got to train on it for an hour and that’s not enough for a game like this.

“We were tortured a little bit in the first half, but we closed them down in the second and go at them. The class gap showed.

“Pollitt did his job well. He saved the penalty, swept up at the back as a keeper should do on this sort of surface, and definitely contributed to the win.

“Bernie’s goal gave us a lift when we wanted it, because we hadn’t played until then.”

[caption id="attachment_15608" align="alignnone" width="166"] Bernie Slaven[/caption]

Murray revealed that he will be trying to make Worboys a permanent feature in the next few days.

“I know all the circumstances if I want to make the deal permanent. I have spoken to Gavin and he wants to come to the club because he’s really enjoying himself. I will be speaking to Notts County on Monday, but the price has already been agreed. The deal was that we took him for a month with a view to making it permanent. I would expect them to stick to that.”

Quakers tried to play the game at their pace, but they were hit after only eight minutes when Colin Little broke down the right and set up Ged Kimmins, who skilfully chipped Pollitt.

The keeper then came to Quakers’ rescue on several occasions as his defence struggled to cope with the surface and Hyde’s attacks.

But Quakers hit back out of the blue at the other end. Hyde keeper Arthur Williams had barely been troubled until the 38^th minutes, when Slaven headed into the bottom corner from Steve Gaughan’s free kick.

After 51 minutes, Slaven and Robbie Painter worked the ball across the edge of the box into the path of Worboys who found the bottom corner with a left foot shot.

Two minutes later, Gaughan found him sprinting clear with a long ball and he guided it into the net for his fourth goal in two games.

A foul by Mattie Appleby on Nolan led to a penalty award – the fifth Darlington have given away this season – but Pollitt beat away Nolan’s effort.

The save knocked the stuffing out of Hyde. Pollitt had to race out of his goal a couple of times to clear, but there were better chances at the other end.

Darlington:

Pollitt, Appleby, Banks, Crosby, Gregan, Himsworth, Painter, Gaughan, Olsson, Slaven, Worboys.

Attendance 2,315.

Quakers lost in the next round by 2-0 at Carlisle United.