Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington 1 Port Vale 3
Darlington 1 Port Vale 3[LNB] ANOTHER second half collapse saw Darlington make it ten home defeats for the season and this was one of the most demoralising of the lot.[LNB] Not as spectacular as last time when Quakers threw away a two-goal lead in the final ten minutes to lose 3-2 at home to Chesterfield, but just as disheartening.[LNB] In front of the club's lowest attendance since 1996, 1,582, Steve Staunton's side led at the break thanks to Tadhg Purcell and were untroubled during the first half.[LNB] Then three Vale goals inside 15 second-half minutes swung the game in the visitors' favour leaving the Blue Square Premier looming ever larger.[LNB] Relegation has been a likelihood for sometime, but with games in hand and some improved performances of late hope still remained.[LNB] That hope increased after six minutes last night when man of the moment Purcell put Darlington ahead with a tap-in.[LNB] A throw-in led to left-back Stuart Giddings pinging a ball to the far post where Darlington-born Dan Groves, making his first start for three months, played the ball back across goal for Purcell.[LNB] The strike was the Irishman's sixth goal in only his ninth appearance a statistic certain to create plenty of interest in the former Shamrock Rovers forward.[LNB] His goal meant Darlington had taken the lead for a fifth consecutive home fixture but, having won only one of those games, Staunton's side were well aware that at least another was required.[LNB] And just six minutes later they spurned a great chance when they were awarded a free-kick inside the Vale penalty area after keeper Joe Anyon picked up John McCombe's back-pass.[LNB] But from 12 yards Josh Gray fired his effort straight into the Vale wall and within two minutes the visitors were denied an equaliser by Quakers keeper Shane Redmond.[LNB] He dived bravely at striker Craig Davies to block a goal-bound effort after Marc Richards had beaten the offside trap.[LNB] Aside from that, it was Darlington who saw more of the ball in the opening half, Staunton's side showing the kind of desire desperately needed.[LNB] Nobody epitomises that approach more than the ever-committed Purcell and it was he and Mor Diop who combined to a create a chance that Diop rolled inches wide of goal from 18 yards.[LNB] Six minutes before the break midfielder Gareth Waite wasted a chance for a second.[LNB] He latched on to a Gray pass and from 15 yards looked likely to score but drilled the ball directly at Anyon and it was a chance he would regret as Quakers capitulated in the second half.[LNB] The period began with right-back Lee Collins rising above a clutch of defenders to meet Kris Taylor's inswinging free-kick but he put it over the bar, much to the relief of Staunton who had spent the 30 seconds before the setpiece desperately barking instructions to his players.[LNB] Just before the hour mark Staunton sent on Gary Smith for Groves who will have been eager to make an impact having put a late penalty over the crossbar when Quakers lost 1-0 at Vale Park in August.[LNB] But it was one of the visitors' substitutes, Doug Loft, who had a bigger effect on proceedings.[LNB] He equalised within 60 seconds of coming on for Robert Taylor after 66 minutes.[LNB] Loft was allowed space in Quakers' penalty area to ram home and soon the lively Lewis Dodds made it 2-1.[LNB] Redmond's punch fell to Dodds lurking on the edge of the penalty area, he took a touch before drilling past the keeper.[LNB] Exasperated at seeing almost a repeat of the Chesterfield debacle, Staunton sent on new signing Ross Chisholm who became the 50th different player to be used this season.[LNB] The Scottish midfielder began his career with Hibernian and signed yesterday having previously been with Shamrock.[LNB] But the game was out of Quakers' reach by the 81st minute when Lewis Haldane made it 3-1.[LNB] The midfielder held off defender Ian Miller to meet Loft's right-wing cross before firing past Redmond.[LNB] Matchfacts Goals: Purcell (6, 1-0); Loft (67, 1- 1), Dodds (72, 1-2), Haldane (81, 1- 3) Bookings: White (foul, 71) Referee: Mark Haywood (Wakefield) 8 Attendance: 1,582 Entertainment: [LNB] DARLINGTON (4-4-2): Redmond 5; MADDEN 6, Miller 5, White 5, Giddings 6; Groves 6 (G Smith 58, 5), Waite, 5, Dempsey 6, Gray 5 (Chisholm 75); Purcell 6, Diop 5. Subs (not used): Liversedge (gk), Burn, Mulligan, Deane, Main[LNB] PORT VALE (4-4-2): Anyon 5; Collins 6, Owen 7, McCombe 5 (Yates 45, 6), K Taylor 6; Haldane 7, Griffith 5, Dodds 7, R Taylor 5 (LOFT 66, 7); Richards 7, Davies 5 (Riggs 45). Subs (not used): Martin (gk), Prosser, Richman, Morsy[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH DOUG Loft the substitute scored one and set up an another goal[LNB]
