Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington suffer yet another home defeat
Darlington are without a win on home soil in nine matches after slumping to a 2-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Grimsby Town.[LNB] Two first half goals were enough to allow the Mariners to become the 15th different side to take all three points from the Arena this season.[LNB] In doing so Grimsby kept alive their survival hopes. They are now four points from safety and play third-bottom Barnet next weekend, though the Bees play their game in hand on Tuesday at Accrington.[LNB] Should Barnet win then Grimsby will be relegated however, Darlington were relegated almost a fortnight ago and Simon Davey's side are merely playing for pride now.[LNB] But they almost gifted Grimsby the lead on six minutes following a mix-up between goalkeeper Nick Liversedge and defender Alan White.[LNB] They left the ball to each other, allowing in striker Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro who was then wiped out by Quakers' keeper, recalled in place of Shane Redmond.[LNB] But referee Mark Haywood took no action and right-back Andrew Milne was able to clear the danger. Again Grimsby exposed Darlington's fragile defending on 15 minutes.[LNB] Jamie Devitt's ball into the penalty area deceived White and allowed Akpa Akpro to cross towards Michael Coulson who had two shots, the first blocked and the second gathered by Liversedge.[LNB] Darlington's first real chance brought a good save from Grimsby keeper Nick Colgan who denied Tadhg Purcell.[LNB] The Irish striker bore down on goal, after being played in by Mor Diop, and was faced with only the keeper to beat, but Colgan raced off his line and did well to block the shot.[LNB] However, better is expected of the striker and within two minutes later Grimsby had the lead and again it owed something to poor Darlington defending.[LNB] From Peter Sweeney's corner, defender Oliver Lancashire took advantage of poor marking to head the visitors into the lead.[LNB] Darlington were laboured in attack but Davey's side were occasionally able to break though due to the Mariners' defence being less than secure.[LNB] One such moment saw left-back Stuart Giddings' cross met by White's head but the effort rolled narrowly wide of Colgan's goal.[LNB] Just after the half-hour mark Haywood again his lenient side when refusing to book Colgan for his his blatant time-wasting antics.[LNB] The keeper raced out of his goal to prevent Diop collecting Purcell's forward pass, and once he had chested the ball out for a throw the keeper proceeded to prevent Darlington from taking advantage of him being off his line by booting the ball high into the stand.[LNB] But Haywood again took no action and before the half was finished he made another perplexing decision, awarding Darlington a free-kick for Rob Atkinson's trip on Purcell despite the incident occurring inside the Mariners' penalty area.[LNB] Grimsby were further buoyed when news filtered through that Barnet had gone 1-0 down against Rotherham.[LNB] Colgan came to the fore six minutes before the break when he dive full-length to his right to push away Purcell's 35-yard free-kick, before came a moment which summed up Darlington's blunt attack.[LNB] Attractive build-up play saw Gary Dempsey's ball into the penalty area chested down by Purcell into Diop's path, but with time on side the French striker blazed his effort well wide and in first half injury-time came the second goal.[LNB] After Darlington failed to sufficiently clear a corner, Michael Coulson's cut-back from the byline was met by Akpa Akpro's well-struck volley to make it 2-0.[LNB] The goal was the 80th conceded by Darlington in their 43 league games this season, and after an unimpressive first half showing Davey sent his side out early for the second period.[LNB] However, the second half started at a glacial pace but Haywood livened up proceedings by taking centre stage with another bizarre decision.[LNB] Quakers Mark Convery aimed a looping back-pass back to Liversedge who caught the ball, thus a clear foul. But not so according to the Wakefield official who waved play on, much the bemusement of Darlington who feared a free-kick close to goal.[LNB] Liversedge's next involvement was not so controversial, the keeper making an impressive save to deny Lee Peacock and the veteran striker's swivel and volley, after an Akpa Akpro knock-down, before Quakers keeper then blocked a powerful shot from 12 yards by Devitt.[LNB] Convery was on as a half-time substitute, as was youth team player John McReady who made his debut, and he did his best to inject some energy into Quakers.[LNB] He took a series of free-kicks, delivering the ball into the opposition penalty area, with Purcell heading wide and then Convery was denied a goal by a save from point-blank range by Colgan.[LNB] The keeper also demonstrated his alertness from the resulting corner, making an instinctive save to deny Purcell in the closing stages as the game petered out. Darlington are at home on Tuesday to Notts County who would clinch the title with a win. Quakers are going to have to up their game against the first-placed opposition if they are to avoid a defeat.[LNB] Referee: Mark Haywood (Wakefield)[LNB] Attendance: 1,911[LNB] Darlington: (4-4-2): Liversedge, Milne, White, Bower, Giddings (Madden 87); Mulligan (McReady 45), G Smith, Dempsey, Groves (Convery 45); Purcell, Diop. Subs (not used): Redmond (gk), M Smith[LNB] Grimsby Town: (4-4-2): Colgan; Bore, Atkinson, Lancashire (Linwood 64) , Widdowson; Coulson, Hudson, Sweeney (Leary 36), Devitt; Akpa Akpro (Wright 87), Peacock. Subs (not used): Stirling, Proudlock, Chambers, Forbes[LNB]
