Darlo throw away their lead as Bulls charge back

HEREFORD DARLINGTON 4 2

DARLINGTON threw away a two-goal lead in a dreadful second half display at Edgar Street.

They looked good for the three points at half time, but a poor defensive performance gifted the home side the points.

The Quakers took the lead on 12 minutes, when Tom Elliott picked the ball up 30 yards out and hit a dipping right foot shot over Hereford keeper Matt Yates into the net.

They nearly made it 2-0 when Stephen Thompson intercepted a back pass, sidestepped Yates, but covering full back Danny Greenslade scrambled the ball off the line.

It was 2-0 on 37 minutes when Wilson Kneeshaw picked up a poor back-pass from Greenslade, ran into the box, and set up Thompson to turn home.

Darlington keeper Jake Turner pulled off a top quality save from Kieran Thomas just on half time, when he went full length and pushed his shot away.

Hereford still looked nervous at the start of the second half when a left-wing cross dropped for Wilson Kneeshaw in the box, but he couldn’t get a shot in.

The Bulls got into the game on 58 minutes when a right-wing corner was cleared as far as the unmarked Thomas on the edge of the box, and the midfielder struck a low shot that crept inside the post.

Tom Owen-evans hit the bar for Hereford, before they levelled on 66 minutes when sub Kyle Finn picked up the ball on the left and drove the ball into the middle, where it bounced in off Darlington skipper Terry Galbraith.

It was 3-2 just three minutes later, when Will Smith was harshly adjudged to have handled Greenslade’s cross — his hands appeared to be down by his side — and the referee pointed to the spot, from where Owen-evans scored.

The Quakers nearly pulled level just three minutes from the end, but Yates managed to push away Thompson’s shot.

And to complete a 45 minutes of misery for The Quakers, Greenslade wriggled free and set up sub Lance Smith for the winner.

Darlington: Turner, Trotman, Galbraith, Elliott, Ainge, Smith, Henshall (Kokolo 81), Palmer (sub Glover 26), Kneeshaw, Nicholson (sub Saunders 70), Thompson. Subs: Maddison, Lingthep