Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington lose yet again
Darlington's misery continued with another defeat, this time 1-0 at home to Macclesfield Town.
Like Tuesday's loss against Rochdale, Quakers wasted enough chances to win the game but again lacked the composure to put the ball in the net, Left-back Jeff Smith did score however, but unfortunately it was a first half own goal and enough to condemn Quakers to a ninth defeat in 11 league games.
The result leaves Darlington on only two points and still without a manager, although there were potential candidates in the stands at The Northern Echo Arena.
Ex-Middlesbrough pair Craig Hignett and Gary Pallister were in attendance, as was former Everton and Aston Villa midfielder Kevin Richardson.
Peter Beardsley, Alan Kernaghan and Steve Staunton have has also applied for the position vacated last week by Colin Todd.
Craig Liddle is in caretaker charge, but he admitted after the game that he does not want to be considered for the role.
Chairman Raj Singh intends to begin interviews with a handful of applicants next week, and on today's first-half showing he must make an appointment as soon as possible.
Because Darlington were woeful in the first 45 minutes with Macclesfield creating several good chances and they should been at least 3-0 up at the break.
Instead they had to settle for Smith's bizarre own goal on 15 minutes. Macclesfield's Colin Daniel played a ball across Quakers' six-yard box to the far post where Smith intended to put the ball out for a corner, but he instead rolled the ball between keeper and post.
He did it so calmly that he could almost be accused of intentionally putting the Silkmen ahead.
Macc's Ben Wright headed and Nat Brown both headed wide from good positions and Darlington were handed another let-off when defender Ian Miller escaped punishment when he appeared to haul down Wright.
The Silkmen striker would have been through on goal as Miller was the last man, but referee Craig Pawson could see no wrong in the challenge.
Darlington's biggest threat came from lively right-winger Jamie Devitt and he created Quakers' best chance on 32 minutes.
After nutmegging left-back Carl Tremarco, who spent a short loan spell with Quakers last season, Devitt crossed to the far post where Darlington-born teenager Dan Groves headed into the side-netting.
He would have done well to score from such a narrow angle, but soon after Macclesfield spurned a third great chance, this time the younger brother of Wayne Rooney the guilty party.
John Rooney found the ball at his feet after a team-mate's blocked shot fell kindly, but somehow he fired wide from three yards.
Groves is a youth team graduate handed an opportunity by Liddle, the club's head of youth, and at the break sent on another in the form of 17-year-old Curtis Main but he soon wasted a great opportunity.
The South Shields-born striker lifted the ball over the bar from eight yards, after being teed up from the byline by Devitt, and it proved to be a sign of what was to come.
Soon after from almost the same position Groves headed over a pin-point Smith cross and then Main fired straight at keeper John Brain after being played in by the hard-working Kevin Gall who fired across goal on 69 minutes.
The ex-Yeovil striker seemed unsure whether to shoot or cross from a position to the right of goal, and instead he fired across goal to the frustration of the better-placed Groves and Devitt.
Having been comfortably out-played in the first half, Quakers were on top after the break and more chances came their way with Main another.
This time he headed against the post following a Mark Convery free-kick. Miller had headed back across goal to Main, but the teenager hit the wood work and with only 16 minutes to play Quakers They began to worry their missed chances would prove costly.
Darlington threw men forward with Steve Foster adding much-needed height but he found the ball at his feet 16 yards from goal however, the captain put his effort narrowly wide.
The chance count continued to rise but for all that Quakers had chances to score, rarely did they test Brain with opportunities instead being off-target.
Typically, Miller headed narrowly wide in the dying seconds in what proved to be Darlington's last attack when keeper Russell Hoult had charged forward at a corner.
Darlington's attentions now to turn to Tuesday's trip to Leeds United in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, but much more important is next Saturday's league game at Dagenham & Redbridge.
Goal: J Smith og (15, 0-1)
Bookings: Bell (78, foul); Devitt (78, dissent)
Referee: Craig Pawson (Sheffield)
Attendance: 1,763
Entertainment: **
Darlington (4-4-2): Hoult, Kane (Arnison 54), Foster, Miller, J Smith, Devitt, G Smith, Groves, Bennett (Convery 54), Gall, Thorpe (Main 46). Subs (not used): Liversedge (gk), Plummer, Bains, Dowson, Bains
Macclesfield Town (4-4-2): Brain, Reid, Bencherif, Brown, Tremarco, Rooney (Thomas 81), Bell, Bolland, Daniel, Sinclair (Brisley 86), Wright (Sappleton 69). Subs (not used): Veiga (gk), Reed, Lowe, Tipton
