Darlington 0-0 Southport - Match Thread

[IBarch]

Just back from the game. Good team performance. Definitely good value for our point. Snatching a win at the end would have been wonderful but the ball just won't find the net.

Played Oliver in the midfield alongside Hmani and Bainbridge. It left Archer quite isolated up front but meant we were really solid in middle and the back. Prevented Darlington from getting any meaningful possession and taking control.
The conditions weren't helpful, with a strong swirling wind. Both teams struggled to master it and it turned crosses and high balls into a lottery at times. Not a lot of beautiful football to watch but we seemed happy enough to keep it scrappy.
We settled into the game well and had some good pocession in the opposition half in the first 15 mins. Missed a great chance to take the lead, their keeper making a good save.
Darlington got a bit more into the game after that and had the balance of play. They failed to put much together and our defence restricted them to a couple of half chances. We did ride our luck a couple of times when their forwards should have done better from good balls played in to their feet but they failed to control and we recovered quickly to clear the danger.
2nd half was more of the same. Playing into the wind I expected an onslaught but it never came. We didn't create a lot and gave the ball away more than making a pass when playing forward but we kept our shape and discipline and stiffled any creativity their midfield may have had.
Munroe did well to freshen up the middle coming on for Hmani and Walton fought hard, including a good run to the touchline near the end, only to tamely hit the ball out of play by the near post with 2 players unmarked in the middle.
Both teams had chances in the last 10 mins, Tony Mac making a couple of vital saves. Archer managed to get clean through only to hit the keeper with his shot from inside the box. Our last chance from a corner could have gone anywhere once the keeper missed it but bounced outside the post.
Overall a good point won on the road against a decent team. And no mention of a ref or linesman for once in the North East.

[Port on the Kent]

That match won't live long in the memory, Darlo shaded it but we battled hard and it would have been tough had we come away with nothing.

It's a shame we didn't pick up a win against either of the bottom two, because tonight's point is a good one on its own merits, but it's done nothing for our season. We started the night three points outside play-offs and we are now five. Had we beaten one of the two basement sides then you would stick tonight's point in your back pocket happy as larry but we didn't. If we lose against Chorley we will be eight points off and that is our race run. If anything, given our form, it would be more a case of looking over our shoulder. We need a big result on Saturday. It is season defining. At 5pm we could be two points off or eight.

I am sure Liam knows the financial imperative to improving results. If we do bow out sharpish, we will have three months of dead rubber 'on the beach' football and the crowds will reflect that. The last two home crowds of 1,300 have been encouraging and if we can keep our season alive we can keep the decent crowds, but as soon as it's dead rubber it's back to 700 midweek and 850 on a Saturday.

Need a big showing and a big turnout on Saturday because in the context of the season it is huge.

[Alan Spences Pupil]

It is clear now that Tony Mac is a candidate of Player of the Season, very consistent & reads a game well not bad for an old un.....

[optimickstic]

Just back from the game. Good team performance. Definitely good value for our point. Snatching a win at the end would have been wonderful but the ball just won't find the net.

Played Oliver in the midfield alongside Hmani and Bainbridge. It left Archer quite isolated up front but meant we were really solid in middle and the back. Prevented Darlington from getting any meaningful possession and taking control.
The conditions weren't helpful, with a strong swirling wind. Both teams struggled to master it and it turned crosses and high balls into a lottery at times. Not a lot of beautiful football to watch but we seemed happy enough to keep it scrappy.
We settled into the game well and had some good pocession in the opposition half in the first 15 mins. Missed a great chance to take the lead, their keeper making a good save.
Darlington got a bit more into the game after that and had the balance of play. They failed to put much together and our defence restricted them to a couple of half chances. We did ride our luck a couple of times when their forwards should have done better from good balls played in to their feet but they failed to control and we recovered quickly to clear the danger.
2nd half was more of the same. Playing into the wind I expected an onslaught but it never came. We didn't create a lot and gave the ball away more than making a pass when playing forward but we kept our shape and discipline and stiffled any creativity their midfield may have had.
Munroe did well to freshen up the middle coming on for Hmani and Walton fought hard, including a good run to the touchline near the end, only to tamely hit the ball out of play by the near post with 2 players unmarked in the middle.
Both teams had chances in the last 10 mins, Tony Mac making a couple of vital saves. Archer managed to get clean through only to hit the keeper with his shot from inside the box. Our last chance from a corner could have gone anywhere once the keeper missed it but bounced outside the post.
Overall a good point won on the road against a decent team. And no mention of a ref or linesman for once in the North East.

Thanks for the excellent game report ,good that we got a clean sheet against a top three team hope we can build on this and sneak a win at Chorley.

[Mr Ah Yes]

Not much else to add. Relieved that the weather did not result in any costly defensive errors, although how they did not score at end of first half is beyond me. Everyone expected the net to bulge.
Darlington will likely make the playoffs, but it will be interesting to see if their replacement for Beck will be able to keep.the goals coming. There was plenty of industry from them, but little by way of end product.

[Hat Trick Patrick]

Highlights now on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZXLg2WA9_0