Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington bring miserable run to an end
Darlington's miserable run came to an end thanks to Kevin Gall's second half equaliser against Cheltenham Town at The Northern Echo Arena.
Having suffered five consecutive defeats, the on loan striker brought Quakers' losing run to an end and in doing scored the team's first goal since the opening day of the campaign.
Justin Richards has put the Robins ahead midway through the first half, but Gall's goal gave Darlington a deserved point and they even looked good for a winner as they pressurised Martin Allen's side in the closing stages.
Had David Dowson not scuffed an attempted back-heeled goal in the fourth minute of injury time then Colin Todd's side would have won.
Dowson had again started on the bench but fellow Sunderland loanee Jamie Chandler was again one of the team's outstanding performers and he created Quakers' first scoring opportunity.
During a lively first half Chandler fed Nathan Porritt and the on loan left-winger charged at goal before firing over the crossbar and David Hutton did likewise for the visitors.
Flowing football through Quakers' midfield ended in Chander swinging over a cross that Gall met at the far side of the penalty area but from a narrow angle he screwed his effort well wide.
Hutton saw a tame effort easily saved by Quakers keeper David Knight as both sides continued to press for an opener which finally came on 32 minutes with Cheltenham taking the lead through Richards.
Marley Watkins easily took the ball past Darlington defender Ian Miller into the penalty area before pulling the ball back to the unmarked Richards who could not miss from two yards out.
It was his third goal in two games, but he should have had another three minutes later but spurned a great chance, heading the ball into the ground and over the bar from inside the six-yard box.
Porritt recorded Darlington's first shot on target shortly after switching wings, cutting inside from the right and lashing a low effort saved easily by keeper Scott Brown.
He did the same soon after, this time blazing over from a central position but Darlington had been shaken by Richards' goal and almost gifted them a second.
Right-back Rikki Bains was at fault, allowing his clearance inside his own half to be charged down by Richards which allowed Hutton in but Quakers managed to get back in numbers to save Bains' blushes.
With Darlington's lack of creativity all too evident, the visitors had grown stronger as the game had gone on and came within inches of making it 2-0, Watkins fired powerfully over after being played in by Richards.
Darlington reached the break only a goal down but unimpressed manager Colin Todd made two changes, sending on Matt Plummer and James Bennett in place of Bains and Gary Smith, And within two minutes of the restart Quakers had a chance to level, but Dean Windass headed over from Porritt's corner as Darlington began the second half on top.
But they again gifted the Robins a chance, this time Jordan Cook at fault. Following another Quakers corner the young winger miss-placed a pass back to Chandler, Darlington's last man, and it presented Josh Low with an opportunity to run one-on-one at Knight.
But Low failed to punish Cook as after dribbling half the length of the pitch he rolled a tame effort straight at the keeper.
Just before the hour mark Windass went even closer, curling a free-kick narrowly wide from 20 yards after Gall had been fouled by Drissa Diallo.
Windass was coming in for some rough treatment but referee Kevin Wright seemed oblivious to the veteran's striker being elbowed by Diallo. In the first half he had also received a kick to the head from the same player, A bloodied Windass had to change his shirt and receive treatment for a head wound but he was soon replaced by Dowson and within a minute came Quakers' equaliser.
In the 71st minute Plummer swung the ball over and Diallo completely missed an attempted header and the ball fell to Gall who completed a clinical finish to spark cheers and relief and a huge outpouring of relief. It brought to an end four and a half matches without a goal and the relief was evident with almost every Darlington player son the pitch racing towards Gall near a corner flag to congratulate him.
Darlington were visibly lifted. They suddenly had a belief and drive that had been lacking and with the crowd right behind them another goal suddenly seemed likely. Some turnaround from the first half when Quakers rarely troubled the opposition's defence. Gall had a great chance for a second but fired weakly at the keeper from the edge of the area following some good football that began with Porritt on the left.
With Chandler and Bennett providing some biting tackles in midfield and the pace of Gall and Dowson causing Cheltenham problems.
A second goal did not come, but after such a miserable run of late nobody was too aggrieved at being held to a draw.
Goals: Richards (32, 0-1); Gall (71, 1-1)
Bookings: Gall (27,foul), Windass (60,dissent), Haynes (90,foul)
Referee: Kevin Wright
Attendance: 1,840
Darlington: (4-4-2): Knight, Bains (Plummer 45), Miller, Foster, Bower, Cook, G Smith (Bennett 45), Chandler 7, Porritt 7, Windass 6 (Dowson 70), Gall. Subs not used: Liversedge, J Smith, Thorpe, Convery
Cheltenham Town: (4-4-2): Brown, Bird, Townsend, Diallo, Ridley, Watkins (Alsop 78), Gallinagh, Hutton (Low 41). Hayles (Haynes 85), Richards. Subs not used: Richardson, Denton, Tabor, Durrant
