Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington 0 York 2
Darlington 0 York 2[LNB] LOSING at home to York on Saturday means Darlington have failed to reach the third round of the FA Cup, which is nothing new.[LNB] Quakers have a poor record in the competition and it is now eight seasons in a row that the club has missed out on a chance to take on one of the Premier League's big boys in the first week of January.[LNB] York's prize for beating Darlington 2-0, thanks to goals at the end of each half, is a trip to Bolton Wanderers.[LNB] Although Quakers had won two ties to reach this stage, losing on Saturday still felt like an early exit and it was deeply disappointing for a number of factors.[LNB] Namely that it had been hoped that manager Mark Cooper would buck the club's poor run in the competition by bringing bring some of his cup luck to The Northern Echo Arena, while a home tie to a fellow Blue Square Premier side offered a fair chance of progression. York may have been on a good run of late, but so too had Darlington.[LNB] A major reason, however, for being so downhearted in the aftermath of Saturday's defeat was that club staff and supporters had worked valiantly to get the game on.[LNB] A combination of frost and heavy snow cast the game into doubt, but match referee Paul Tierney gave the thumbs up following a Saturday morning pitch inspection after band of dedicated fans answered a call to clear Friday night's snowfall.[LNB] By Saturday evening they were perhaps wondering why they had bothered.[LNB] After their sterling work in getting the game on, they did not deserve seeing Darlington knocked out but the team, a week after losing at Wrexham, could have few complaints having put in another lackadaisical display.[LNB] In a scrappy game there was a real lack of quality on show from both sides who were evenly-matched as their midtable positions in the table suggested they would be. Darlington came into the game 11th while York were 13th.[LNB] The hard, slippery surface, which was surrounded by mounds of snow, could hardly have been of assistance, but a frustrated Cooper did not blame the pitch.[LNB] There was nothing wrong with the conditions. The conditions were fine, they were the same for both teams, said Cooper, who, it appeared, wanted nothing to distract from what he said was poor defending for York's first goal.[LNB] Djoumin Sangare got it, just before the break, after bursting through a clutch of defenders to poke past Sam Russell after striker Mark Rankine had flicked on a punt up field from the keeper.[LNB] Cooper said: It was a terrible goal to concede, it was the same at Wrexham last week.[LNB] Nobody went to head the ball, nobody dropped off and considering the amount of work we do on that in training it is ridiculous.[LNB] I don't know if there was a foul or not, but you've got two centre-backs there. One of them has to head the ball and the other has to drop off. If that had happened York wouldn't have scored the first goal.[LNB] There was no danger of conceding and it was just a question of getting to halftime at 0-0, but we couldn't do it. We didn't defend one long ball properly. That allowed York to score and from then on we were chasing the game.[LNB] During the otherwise uneventful first 45 minutes Quakers' best chance was an Aaron Brown curling freekick that was narrowly wide.[LNB] They had the entire second half to pull back but there was little of the fighting spirit demonstrated in the previous round win against Bristol Rovers and Darlington did little to test York keeper Michael Ingham.[LNB] Just before the hour mark out-of-sorts striker Tommy Wright was withdrawn, however, he was provided with little service and would surely have appreciated the assistance of winger Chris Moore.[LNB] He did not arrive until later and soon after one of his runs led to Chris Senior stabbing a half-chance wide.[LNB] The closest Darlington came to an equaliser was when Michael Brough powered a goal-bound effort that James Meredith headed over the bar.[LNB] York, like Darlington, were not at their best but in injurytime, with Quakers have pushed Danny Hone forward in a desperate attempt at clawing back an equaliser, York added the killer second.[LNB] Rankine pushed Brown off the ball and, although it appeared to be a foul, he crossed for Ashley Chambers to roll the ball into an empty net.[LNB] Cue the York players celebrating in the snow piled up behind the goal a reminder of the work Darlington had put in to make sure the game took place.[LNB] It was a fantastic effort by everyone to get the game on, it was just a shame we wasted it, added Cooper.[LNB] Yes it was for a foul for the second goal, but we had pushed everyone forward to try and get back into the game.[LNB] There wasn't much said in the dressing room because it's all been said before. And actions speak louder than words.[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 0-1: Sangare (44, poked past Russell from eight yards after collecting Rankine's flick-on)[LNB] 0-2: Chambers (90, rolled ball into empty net following Rankine's right wing cross)[LNB] Bookings: Hatch (30, foul); Sangare (36, foul); Brough (78, foul), Arnison (83, foul), Brown (89, foul); Meredith (90, foul)[LNB] Referee: Paul Tierney (Wigan) Perhaps should have awarded a free-kick against Rankine in the build-up to second goal, but otherwise neither side could have any major complaints 7[LNB] Attendance: 3,481[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] DARLINGTON (4-3-1-2):[LNB] 6 Russell: Kicking better this week and not at fault for either goal;[LNB] 6 Miller: Shifted back into the centre in second half but outnumbered when attempting to defend the second goal[LNB] 5 Hone: Although Cooper did not identify him, came under-fire in the post-match analysis of the first goal[LNB] 6 Hatch: Too easily beaten for York's opener, but offered a reminder of his attacking threat when he went up front[LNB] 7 BROWN: The left-back offered a more potent attacking threat than many of his team-mates;[LNB] 5 Gillespie: The club's man of the match award was hardly appropriate after a disappointing home debut[LNB] 5 Brough: Unable to make a huge impact on the game.[LNB] Was playing better when paired with G Smith[LNB] 7 Verma: Showed some nice touches and composure on the ball[LNB] 5 Bridge-Wilkinson: Wellmarshalled by York so unable to make a major impact on the game;[LNB] 5 Senior: Recalled and put, as ever, plenty of effort in but was given only half-chances[LNB] 5 Wright: Provided with little service but won little in the air and no surprise that he was subbed[LNB] Subs:[LNB] Arnison (for Wright 55): Provided solid defending at right-back but picked up another booking 5[LNB] Moore (for Gillespie 72) (not used): Bertram (gk), G Smith, Main, P Gray, J Gray[LNB] YORK CITY (4-3-3): Ingham 5; J Smith (Barrett 19, 6), McGurk 7, C Smith 7, Meredith 6; Sangare 7, Weir 5, Racchi 5; Chambers 7, Rankine 7 (Constantine 90), Till 7 (Fyfield 71).[LNB] Subs (not used): Knight (gk), Carruthers, Young, McDermott[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] MICHAEL Rankine The York striker earned Mark Cooper's praise after setting up both goals.[LNB]
