Source: Northern_Echo
Late goal sinks Quakers
COLIN Todd handed debuts to three players but a late goal condemned Darlington to a harsh defeat against Crewe Alexandra last night.[LNB] In front of the lowest crowd for a league game at The Northern Echo Darlington Arena, Jordan Cook, Nathan Porritt and Rikki Bains all made their bows but Calvin Zola rammed home a loose ball to leave Quakers stunned and still pointless after three matches.[LNB] The attendance of 1,821, including 173 from Crewe, comfortably beat the previous low of 2,180 but they appeared set to see Quakers collect a deserved first point of the campaign.[LNB] But Zola popped up after Darlington were unable to sufficiently clear a Billy Jones corner, meaning Colin Todd's side have now lost all three home games this season by a solitary goal.[LNB] But the performance, against a side who won 4-0 at Grimsby on Saturday, was an improvement on the weekend defeat to Bury.[LNB] "I feel sorry for the players because we matched Crewe, who I hink will be near the top at the end of the season, but we lacked that little bit of quality in the final third," said Todd rested captain Steve Foster and replaced him with Matt Plummer while Chris Lumsdon and Jeff Smith both dropped to the bench.[LNB] "We had tempo and we had energy but we are lacking in the final third.[LNB] "It's a cruel game. I'm not saying we deserved to win, but I feel we deserved something from the game.[LNB] "I threw Porritt and Cook into the team and they haven't trained with us yet so it was never going to be easy, but I think everybody came out of the game with credit."[LNB] Cook made a surprise debut after joining on loan from Sunderland yesterday while Porritt arrived from Boro on Monday.[LNB] They were Quakers' widemen, but in a tentative neither side appeared capable of creating a scoring chance and it took Todd's side until the 30th minute to cause Crewe any problems.[LNB] Railwaymen defender Harry Worley, on loan from Leicester, almost put through his own net when cutting out a Dowson pass into the danger area.[LNB] Porritt flashed a shot over and Gary Smith pulled an effort well wide as half chances began to be created towards the end of the opening half, but the visitors ended the period on top.[LNB] Following good work by the impressive Grant, playing on the left as one of three Crewe forwards, Aman Verma's venomous rising drive from distance brought a good save from Knight, but the keeper soon had supporters concerned.[LNB] He charged out of his penalty area and clattered into Plummer and impeded the defender as he was attempting to clear.[LNB] At the break Bains came on at right-back for Paul Arnison who limped off with a hamstring strain.[LNB] Arnison had been captain the so the armband was passed to Ian Miller and he began as skipper by executing a superbly-timed tackle in the penalty area on Byron Moore.[LNB] By that stage Darlington striker Lee Thorpe had twice attempted powerful attempts at goal, the first saved by keeper Dave Button, but neither came as close to opening the scoring as Zola's 25-yard strike.[LNB] It whacked off Quakers' woodwork and back into play, and Darlington were able to clear.[LNB] Porritt saw an effort from a narrow angle roll wide of Button's post and Gary Smith lashed wide during a productive period for Darlington.[LNB] But just as a point appeared likely, with just three minutes to go Zola lashed past Knight to steal all three points.[LNB]
