Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington stun Rotherham with 2-1 win
Darlington are back with a bang. After five weeks without a game they returned to action in style tonight with two second half goals to win 2-1 at promotion-chasing Rotherham United.[LNB] Debutant Tadhg Purcell and Gary Smith did the damage, scoring the goals which gave a determined Darlington their first away win of the season which stunned their hosts.[LNB] Playing against the only team in the division with an undefeated home record, few would have given Quakers a chance but they showed a determination that will serve them well in the closing months of the campaign.[LNB] Though the result does not lift Quakers from the bottom of the table, it will certainly lift spirits at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] The recent arrival of six new players demonstrated that Darlington intend to do their utmost to avoid relegation, and four of their recent recruits started at a bitterly cold Don Valley Stadium.[LNB] With four new players in the starting line-up, Darlington made the brighter start, forcing the match's first shot on goal on nine minutes with Purcell firing at the keeper.[LNB] The 24-year-old latched on to Stuart Giddings' perfectly-weighted through-ball and, after the Millers' Ian Sharps missed the ball, Purcell took his shot early but Andy Warrington was equal to it.[LNB] Irishman Purcell was playing alongside a Frenchman in Mor Diop while Scottish striker Patrick Deane was on the bench.[LNB] Shortly after Purcell's chance, the promotion-chasing Millers had their first two efforts of the evening with winger Kevin Ellison having them both which were of target.[LNB] Quakers' Jeff Smith, who saw a tame effort easily dealt with by Warrington, was one of only five players to keep their place in the team from the last time Quakers played on December 12.[LNB] That was when Darlington slumped to a fifth consecutive defeat at Torquay, after which they had six games postponed while Staunton made changes to his squad.[LNB] Of the new batch, midfielders Gary Dempsey and Gareth Waite both started, as did defender Alan White and striker Purcell who made his presence felt.[LNB] After one hefty challenge he required treatment, but was able to continue and his team-mates showed a similar determination.[LNB] Rotherham centre-back Pablo Mills headed over the bar after meeting a corner taken by Nick Law, a midfielder reported to have recently been the subject of a £150,000 offer that was turned down.[LNB] Darlington can only envy being in such a position, with Staunton having to trawl the League of Ireland as well as non-league for his new recruits.[LNB] Before the break Adam Le Fondre had a goal disallowed. After meeting Ellison's corner, he forced the ball over the line but Liversedge had been impeded.[LNB] It was a let-off, but within two minutes of restart Quakers had the lead with Purcell scoring.[LNB] Just 90 seconds into the second half the Irishman was played in down the left channel, cut inside and buried a shot past Warrington to stun Darlington's South Yorkshire hosts.[LNB] Rotherham immediately attempted to find a leveller and they came closest at a 55th minute corner, conceded by Liversedge after he had pushed away a Le Fondre effort. Pablo Mills' shot was blocked by White from the resulting set-piece.[LNB] Ex-Spennymoor man Waite came so close to scoring on the hour, heading over Jeff Smith's cross but soon after Gary Smith scored his first for the club to make it 2-0.[LNB] He prodded past the keeper from close-range after being played in by Diop, sending the visiting fans into raptures.[LNB] But the home supporters were furious at seeing their side 2-0 down to bottom of the table Quakers.[LNB] With the Darlington defence holding firm, Staunton's side were rarely threatened for much of the second period.[LNB] With Quakers two goals up, Staunton took off Purcell and Diop, replacing them with teenagers Curtis Main and debutant Deane, but within minutes Rotherham had pulled one back.[LNB] On 78 Cummins, on as a sub, scored from the edge of the area following a corner and suddenly Quakers were rattled.[LNB] But they hung on, surviving a nervy eight minutes of injury time and a handful of Rotherham corners, to secure a morale-boosting victory which demonstrated that Darlington are not dead yet.[LNB]
