Quakers throw away chance of stunning win

DARLINGTON let a two-goal lead slip against 10 men at the Phillips 66 Stadium,

Quakers played some superb football for the first hour, and should have made the game safe with the chances they created.

They had a close shave on 12 minutes, however, when Jack Edwards outjumped Jonny Maddison to a free-kick from the left, and headed towards goal, but Terry Galbraith hooked the ball away off the line.

Quakers took the lead on 18 minutes. Luke Trotman found Harvey Saunders with a great ball into the box. Saunders low shot was parried by Breeden, and the ball ran for Simon Ainge to drive home, his fourth of the season.

Jordan Nicholson then missed two good chances for Quakers, and Ainge put a looping header on to the roof of the net, before the visitors went 2-0 up on 32 minutes.

Thompson opened up the Leamington defence for Nicholson to burst through, and even though he was challenged, the ball ran for Saunders to slot under the keeper into the net, his fifth of the season.

Leamington were down to 10 men on 38 minutes when Anthony Dwyer was red carded for a wild lunge on Ainge on the halfway line – the third successive game in which Quakers’ opponents have had a red card.

It was nearly 3-0 when Alex Henshall and Tom Elliott combined well on the left and set up Nicholson, who put his right-foot shot over the bar.

It was all Quakers again at the start of the second half, and they nearly made it 3-0 with a header by Saunders that Breedon saved at the foot of his post.

After Quakers had a penalty shout for handball turned down, Leamington got back into the game with a spot-kick that was awarded.

Thompson was penalised for handball from a throw-in, and sub Colby Bishop put the penalty into the top corner.

Leamington levelled on 69 minutes. They gained a corner on the right which went over to the far post, where Edwards forced the ball in.

Quakers could still have won the game when Ainge turned well in the box, and even though he was pulled back by a defender, fired straight at Breedon.

And in the last minute, Thompson, who scored a hat-trick in the same game last year, pulled a left-foot shot wide from the edge of the box.