Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington into semi-finals
Darlington are into the semi-finals of the FA Trophy after overcoming Salisbury City 2-1 today at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] Darlington are into the semi-finals of the FA Trophy after overcoming Salisbury City 2-1 today at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] Goals from Gary Smith and Liam Hatch put Quakers into the draw for the last four, though an impressive injury-time strike by ex-Hartlepool midfielder Darrell Clarke set up a dramatic finish.[LNB] But Darlington closed out the victory that their domination of possession meant they deserved.[LNB] The draw for the two-legged semi-final takes place on Monday morning and will see Quakers paired with either Luton Town, Gateshead or Mansfield or Chasetown whose tie today was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.[LNB] Whoever stands in the way of a third trip to Wembley, Darlington should fear nobody as they have now lost only one of their last 12 league and cup games.[LNB] Anything other than another win was rarely in doubt today as Mark Cooper's side were on top for almost the entire 90 minutes, only a stubborn opposition stopped them creating more scoring chances.[LNB] Salisbury ensured they had bodies behind the ball in an attempt to stifle Quakers, a tactic that succeeded for a first 45 minutes in which two Tommy Wright headers, both saved by keeper Tommy Smith, were as close to a goal as Darlington.[LNB] At the other end, however, Quakers keeper Sam Russell touched the ball with his hands only twice before the break, the second time being to claim a free-kick in injury time.[LNB] It was a similar scenario after the break with Darlington forced to be patient, though at Salisbury's first corner of the game defender Ryan Tafazoli had a shot charged down by Dan Burn.[LNB] Chris Senior was sent on for Wright and soon after he helped create a great chance for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson.[LNB] The striker broke down the left and pulled the ball back to the centrally-positioned Bridge-Wilkinson whose low shot from 12 yards well save by Smith before right-back Paul Arnison put the loose ball over the ball when team-mates were waiting for a cross.[LNB] But the goal Darlington had been threatening came on 69 minutes and again it via Aaron Brown.[LNB] The marauding left-back took the ball past right-back Kyle Haynes before firing over a cross that was half-cleared to Gary Smith to fire home his fifth of the season from 20 yards.[LNB] It was a nice finish from the Teessider, managing to keep the shot down as the ball took an age to drop, and the goal was his fourth in a cup competition this season.[LNB] Soon after Salisbury player-manager Clarke sent himself on as a substitute to try and instigate a fightback, but within two minutes it was 2-0 with Smith involved again.[LNB] After a quickly taken Bridge-Wilkinson corner, Smith crossed to the far post where Hatch headed home his tenth goal of the season.[LNB] The two-goal advantage gave Darlington breathing space, though hatch could have added a third. Smith's poor clearance fell to the striker and, with the keeper off his line, Hatch had a shot from 25 yards but the effort was wide.[LNB] Bridge-Wilkinson had close-range shots blocked twice in closing stages before Clarke set-up a tense finish in the third minute of injury-time with a fine strike.[LNB] He side-stepped Jamie Chandler's challenge on the edge of the penalty area before firing a shot into the top corner and with referee Mark Heywood playing for longer than was necessary Darlington would be forgiven for fearing the worst.[LNB] Salisbury won a free-kick that saw every player, including the visiting keeper, pile into Quakers' penalty area, but Darlington scrambled the ball clear and eventually Heywood remembered where his whistle was to blow for time.[LNB] Referee: Mark Heywood (Nantwich)[LNB] Attendance: 1,864 (139 visiting fans)[LNB] Darlington (4-1-2-1-2): Russell; Arnison, Miller, Burn, Brown (P Gray 75); Chandler; Verma, G Smith; Bridge-Wilkinson; Hatch, Wright (Senior 65). Subs: St Louis-Hamilton (gk), Moore, Main[LNB] Salisbury City (4-4-2): Smith; Haynes (Casey 83), Turley, Tafazoli, Knight; Kelly, Adelsbury, Anderson, Sheppard (Clarke 71); Reid (McLaggon 34), Fitchett. Subs (not used): Neish (gk), Brett[LNB][LNB]
