Source: Northern_Echo
Miller magic gives Darlington victory
A stunning volley from captain Ian Miller earned Darlington a 2-1 win over York City, a result which seriously dented the Minstermen's hopes of making the play-offs.[LNB] [LNB] A stunning volley from captain Ian Miller earned Darlington a 2-1 win over York City, a result which seriously dented the Minstermen's hopes of making the play-offs.[LNB] For the second time in a week, Mark Cooper's men inflicted defeat on a side hoping to make the play-offs after their midweek win at Kidderminster Harriers.[LNB] A Tommy Wright header from point-blank range and a sublime volley from centre-back Miller gave Quakers a well-deserved win in an exciting 90 minutes of football.[LNB] The result means Mark Cooper's men stay eighth in the Blue Square Premier table but closed the gap on the play-offs to just five points.[LNB] Their chances of making the top-five still look slim, with Quakers needing to win both their remaining two games and rely on the teams above them to drop points.[LNB] The win also leaves York's hopes of making the play-offs hanging in the balance with the Minstermen also needing results to go their way to stand any chance.[LNB] With the two sides locked together in the table, it was no surprise that the opening half was an evenly contested tie, which saw the hosts and their visitors enjoy a succession of chances.[LNB] Quakers were first out the traps and almost took the lead within two minutes. Good work on the left from Liam Hatch saw the striker turn Liam Darville and cut the ball back to Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, who crossed the ball in to Paul Terry, but the midfielder's header was saved by Michael Ingham.[LNB] York immediately broke from Terry's chance and almost scored themselves when Jamie Reed's cross was headed just over by Neil Barratt.[LNB] Gary Mills' side did have the ball in the back of the net not long after when Jamie Reed tucked the ball away, only for his effort to be disallowed for offside.[LNB] Quakers keeper Sam Russell was then called into action when right-back Darville broke down the right and swung a cross in which deflected off Bridge-Wilkinson towards goal leaving the Quakers keeper to claw the ball away.[LNB] After Russell had made another great save to deny a header from Barrett, Quakers had a chance of their own when Wright controlled the ball on the edge of the box and sent a curling shot inches wide.[LNB] With the number of chances created in the first half, it was amazing that the match was goalless at half time but York almost gifted the hosts an opening just after the interval. Darville sent a miss-controlled clearance over his keeper towards goal, but the defender got back to clear the ball off the line and it bounced off an unaware Jamie Chandler and out for a goal kick.[LNB] The breakthrough did come in the 53rd minute and it was the hosts who broke the deadlock with a well-worked goal. Chris Moore raced down the right and sent a deep cross to Hatch at the back post, with his header helped in by Wright on the line.[LNB] Three minutes later Quakers went 2-0 up through one of the best goals The Northern Echo Arena has seen this season.[LNB] York failed to clear the ball from a free-kick and the ball fell to skipper Miller on the edge of the area with the right-footed centre-back hitting a superb left-footed volley into the back of the net.[LNB] The Minstermen did pull a goal back in the 87th minute when Chris Carruthers drilled a low shot past Russell from an Ashley Chambers corner but the home side held on the claim maximum points.[LNB] Goals: Wright (54, 1-0), Miller (56, 2-0); Carruthers (87, 2-1)[LNB] Bookings: Bridge-Wilkinson (18, foul); J Smith (58, foul); Arnison (58, ungentlemanly conduct); Daville (74, foul), Chambers (77, dissent)[LNB] Referee: Paul Hodskinson (Lancashire)[LNB] Attendance: 2,966 (1,003 from York)[LNB] Darlington (4-3-3): Russell; Arnison, Miller, Taylor, Brown; Bridge-Wilkinson, Terry (Verma 74), Chandler; Moore, Wright (M Smith 78), Hatch (P Gray 90). Subs (not used): St Louis-Hamilton (gk), Campbell[LNB] York City (4-3-3): Ingham; Darville, Fyfield, Meredith, Carruthers; Barrett, Boucaud (Mackin 78), J Smith (Till 62); Chambers, Constantine (Rankine 62), Reed. Subs (not used): Young, Hatfield[LNB]
