Source: Northern_Echo
Cup classic as Quakers show spirit
If you are going to play in a semi-final of a cup competition then you might as well make it one to remember. Darlington will never forget what happened on Saturday: from despair to delight inside 45 minutes.[LNB] Losing 2-0 by half-time against Gateshead, the Wembley dream already appeared over. By full-time, however, Quakers supporters were ecstatic after witnessing a thrilling comeback in one of the club's most memorable matches in recent years.[LNB] In a role reversal of the two teams' league encounter last week, Mark Cooper's team mounted a spirited fightback that saw three second-half goals turn the tie on its head in front of a crowd more than twice the average gate this season at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] It was pulsating stuff, the sort of match that comes along all too rarely, but when it does it immediately becomes seared into the memory banks.[LNB] "It was a good day, I thoroughly enjoyed it," said Cooper.[LNB] "It was a proper football game and a proper atmosphere with two sets of football supporters getting behind their team and two teams going at it."[LNB] The most recent comparison at Darlington would be the 1998 FA Cup tie with Burnley when Quakers fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.[LNB] That match, however, was played at Middlesbrough's stadium, so at least Saturday's fightback came on home soil, meaning supporters were able to enjoy a rarity: Darlington winning at home on the big occasion.[LNB] All too often during their eight seasons at the Arena, Quakers have been unable to do the business when it mattered most, almost always losing in front of a large crowd.[LNB] Saturday's attendance of 4,243, which included more than 1,000 from Gateshead and generated a terrific atmosphere, was the club's biggest since the home loss to Leeds United in the Carling Cup at the beginning of last season.[LNB] In all but one of their previous seven seasons at the Arena the club have lost in front of the largest crowd of the season - the 2008 play-off win over Rochdale being the exception - though on Saturday it looked as though Darlington would blow it yet again.[LNB] The Heed went ahead thanks to goals from Nathan Fisher and Adam Rundle, two players with Quakers connections.[LNB] Richmond-born Fisher, a Quakers season ticket holder when the club played at Feethams, put Gateshead ahead on 21 minutes after pouncing on Darlington right-back Paul Arnison's failure to deal with a loose ball.[LNB] The goal took the zip out of Quakers who had started brightly with Aman Verma having a goal ruled out for offside and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson missing a golden opportunity when he put the ball wide after Heed keeper Paul Farman had lost a tackle outside his penalty area.[LNB] Once Heed were in the lead the Tynesiders looked more assured, preventing Quakers from creating much of note for the remainder of the half aside from an acrobatic Chris Senior effort and a long-range Verma strike.[LNB] Both were off target, but Quakers keeper Sam Russell had to be at full-strength to tip over a Rundle header. From the corner, however, Gateshead scored in similar fashion to last Tuesday's 93rd minute equaliser.[LNB] That night Adam Quinn was at fault for losing track of Ben Clark, but as he was cup-tied he was replaced by Dan Burn.[LNB] However, Quakers again conceded from a set-piece with former Darlington winger Rundle blasting home from close-range after Jamie Chandler had cleared Jon Shaw's header off the line.[LNB] Supporters were in despair. A run of only one defeat in the previous 16 games had built expectations, only to see them come crashing to the ground. Typical Darlington, or so it appeared.[LNB] "I didn't have to say too much at half-time because I think the players already knew they hadn't done themselves justice," said Cooper.[LNB] "I looked every one of them in the eye and asked them, 'have you really done yourself justice Do you want to go to Wembley Do you really want to go out of the Trophy with a performance like that' They gave me their answer in the second half."[LNB] They did, but only after Heed midfielder Kris Gate side-footed wide of Russell's goal 90 seconds after the restart.[LNB] It was a let-off and Quakers capitalised, making it 2-1 on 56 minutes with Marc Bridge-Wilkinson scoring, thanks in part to a good advantage played by the referee, Carl Boyeson.[LNB] He allowed play to continue, despite Gateshead centre-back Carl Jones clattering into Liam Hatch. The ball spun into Bridge-Wilkinson's path and the play-maker side-stepped keeper Paul Farman to net his 11th goal in 25 games.[LNB] "We needed a spark, we needed a lift, and that goal gave us it. The goal was the catalyst for a really strong finish to the game," said Cooper.[LNB] "In the first half we were huffing and puffing, but in the second half, once we'd got that goal, we looked a really good team."[LNB] It was now Gateshead's turn to huff and puff while Darlington became stronger as they sensed an equaliser.[LNB] Farman did well to tip a Gary Smith header wide, Bridge-Wilkinson was narrowly off target with a free-kick before the same player lifted a shot over the bar after quick footwork in the penalty area by Verma.[LNB] The equaliser finally came with 15 minutes to go. Hatch headed home his 12th goal of the season from an Aaron Brown free-kick, with the set-piece being won in similar fashion to last week.[LNB] A week ago Ian Miller put Darlington ahead via a Brown free-kick after Clark had conceded a foul on Quakers' right-wing, and the defender's lack of pace cost him again on Saturday.[LNB] This time he scythed down sub Nathan Modest and from Brown's delivery Hatch firmly headed beyond Farman to make it 2-2.[LNB] Darlington, though, were not satisfied and had soon tipped the tie in their favour with Hatch again the scorer.[LNB] The lanky striker's determination makes him a menace to defenders, something Jones would vouch for after the defender lost possession inside his own half when attempting to cut-out Bridge-Wilkinson's forward pass.[LNB] Jones' error was immediately pounced on by Hatch, who drove forward before despatching the ball beyond Farman.[LNB] The attendance may have been half that which witnessed the play-off win over Rochdale, but you would never have known it judging by the noise made when Hatch scored that third.[LNB] The most electric atmosphere at the Arena in years can only have helped convince some to help chairman Raj Singh in his optimistic aim to sell 2,000 adult season tickets by the end of this month.[LNB] "If we'd lost two or 3-0 it would've left a really bad taste in the mouth and we would have struggled to get those extra supporters back," added Cooper.[LNB] "Instead, people will be talking about the game for a few weeks to come and you never know they might even watch us again."[LNB] Darlington are unbeaten in 12 consecutive home games, their longest undefeated run at The Northern Echo Arena, but to complete the job they must record a good result away from home.[LNB] Although it is tempting to say Quakers are only 90 minutes away from Wembley, the slender lead means that so too are Gateshead, so the tie is only marginally in Darlington's favour.[LNB]
