The Quakers take another step forward towards cementing a play-off place

A first half free kick from Terry Galbraith proved just enough to take all 3 points for the Quakers, against a tough Ossett Town side away from home.

Darlington made 5 changes to the side that comfortably beat Wakefield 5-1 in midweek, Walker, Ward, Hunter, Scott and Fisher replaced Hopson, Purewal, Dowson, Davis and White in the starting line up.

In the 4th game to take place between the two sides this season, Darlington would of been expecting to have to grind out a result against Ossett Town, who before the match sat 8th place in the league.

However from kickoff it was Darlington who started as the much brighter side and it took just 6 minutes for Darlo to threaten the Ossett goal. A free kick sent in to the box by Joe tait, had to be tipped over for a corner by Dobbs.

The matched seemed to settle down from there, not much happening to test either keeper up until the 28th minute.

Ian Ward, making his first start for Darlington, struck the ball home from close range after a corner was whipped into the box and led to a mad scramble, in which Ward took advantage of.

And it took The Quakers just another 5 minutes to double their advantage.

Terry Galbraith curled a free kick into the top right hand corner of the goal, following a foul on skipper Gary Brown who took a boot to the face from Ossett's Louis Horne, around about 25yrds from goal.

And that's how the score stayed going into half-time.

Into the second half and once again neither keeper was really tested, Darlington were more than happy to just slow the tempo of the game right down and try to keep a hold of their two goal
advantage.

Unfortunately for the visitors, that advantage was halved on 76 minutes.

Ignoring Darlington's claims for handball, the referee and the Darlington defenders, allowed Nick Wood to take control of the ball in the area and fire Ossett Town straight back into the game, striking the ball across the goal and into the back of the net.

From then on the Quakers had to really dig in and protect their slender lead for another 14 minutes.

But Ossett Town just couldn't find that spark needed in the final third of the pitch and despite the referee adding on seven minutes of stoppage time, The Quakers managed to hold on to a vital 3 points away from home.

Ossett Town: Dobbs, Kilburn, Jeff, Kuba-Kuba, Horne, Wood, Branagan, Patterson, Wood, Eyles, Williams.

Goals: Wood (76)

Darlington: Bell, Walker, Galbraith, Tait, Hunter, Brown, Mitchell, Scott, Ward, Fisher, Thompson.

Goals: Ward (28) Galbraith (33)

MOTM: For me it has to be Gary Brown, the defender, turned midfielder for this game, broke up plays in the heart of the pitch and wasn't afraid to put a foot in, a captains performance!