Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington stroll to victory
Darlington 3 Forest Green Rovers 0[LNB] Darlington strolled to a comfortable victory this afternoon as they put last week's poor result behind them by easily overcoming Forest Green Rovers.[LNB] Having been held to a 1-1 draw at nine-man Eastbourne Borough, Quakers were in need of a convincing win and Mark Cooper's side were rarely in danger at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] They are up to seventh in the Blue Square Premier after recording a 3-0 win which could and should have come by a much greater margin.[LNB] Cooper's men missed numerous chances before the break having made a a blistering start which saw Chris Senior put Darlington ahead inside the third minute.[LNB] The striker tucked the ball past keeper James Bittner after Michael Smith has dispossessed a defender and by the 21st minute it was 2-0.[LNB] This time it came via an own goal from Gavin Caines. The defender deflected the ball past Bittner after Aaron Brown had hoisted the ball forward.[LNB] Brown was the only new face in the line-up, the left-back recalled with Joe Clarke moving to centre-midfield and Jamie Chandler dropping to the bench.[LNB] Before the break Liam Hatch was off target with a handful of headers while Smith should have done better when presented with the ball in front of goal but dragged his effort wide.[LNB] Quakers lost some of their momentum as the half wore on but Paul Arnison went close. The right-back let fly with a left-footed volley from 20 yards.[LNB] Darlington were sluggish at the beginning of the second half, just as they were in last week's draw at Eastbourne.[LNB] Supporters might have feared the worst, especially when Forest Green began to make an in-roads with Caines firing an effort narrowly wide and then keeper Sam Russell was called into action.[LNB] He made a save to deny striker Reece Styche who had been presented with a one-on-one.[LNB] The save was only Russell's second of the game, the first coming before the break, after a poor goal, but Quakers' dominance eventually returned.[LNB] Arnison tried again for his first goal of the season, cracking a right-footed drive from 30 yards that Bittner tipped away.[LNB] It was a spectacular effort and fine save withy Darlington's new-found urgency coming following the appearance on the sidelines of substitutes Chandler and Curtis Main.[LNB] Chandler replaced Clarke on 72 minutes and soon after his first goal in senior football to celebrate.[LNB] The former Sunderland youngster charged forward to get on the end of a pass from Martin Smith, who had taken the ball past a defender on the right, to tuck the ball past Bittner.[LNB] The goal sealed the points for Quakers who were simply too strong for Forest Green.[LNB] The visitors were reduced to ten men in injury time, Lee Fowler shown a red card by referee Peter Bankes for serious foul play after bringing down Hatch.[LNB] Goals: Senior (3, 1-0), Cains og (11, 2-0), Chandler (83, 3-0)[LNB] Bookings: M Smith (65, foul); Herring (67, foul), M Fowler (78, foul), Styche (90, foul)[LNB] Sending-off: L Fowler (90, serious foul play)[LNB] Referee: Peter Bankes (Merseyside)[LNB] Attendance: 1,520[LNB] Darlington (4-3-3): Russell; Arnison, Hone, Austin, Brown; Clarke (Chandler 72), Terry (McReady 90), G Smith; M Smith, Senior (Main 81); Hatch. Subs (not used): Moore, J Gray[LNB] Forest Green (4-4-1-1): Bittner; Herring, Jones, Caines, McDonald; L Fowler, M Fowler, Gill (Bartlett 65), Else (Dyer 46, Smith 49)); Klukowski; Styche. Subs (not used): Armstrong, Grimes[LNB]
