Source: Northern_Echo
Poor first half costs Quakers
An awful first half ensured that Darlington slipped to defeat at lowly Hayes & Yeading today, losing 3-2.[LNB] An awful first half ensured that Darlington slipped to defeat at lowly Hayes & Yeading today, losing 3-2.[LNB] The lowly hosts took a two-goal inside the opening 28 minutes as Quakers' defence struggled to handle Hayes' Bradley Pritchard and Elliott Buchanan, the pair both scoring.[LNB] A further strike just after the break put the game out of reach for Mark Cooper's side, though they fought back with two quick goals to give themselves hope of completing a remarkable comeback.[LNB] But it was not be, meaning Quakers slip a place to ninth after a result, in front of 432 supporters, which means Hayes have completed the league double over Darlington.[LNB] They also won 1-0 earlier in the season at The Northern Echo Arena, and today's game got off to a poor start with Buchanan playing a pivotal role in Hayes & Yeading taking a 1-0 lead.[LNB] He raced down the right, dribbling past a flat-footed Adam Quinn, before pulling the ball back to Pritchard to slot home on ten minutes.[LNB] Quinn's lack of pace proved costly after what had been a scrappy start for Quakers with the lowly hosts forcing the pace of the game and winning the first corner.[LNB] The keeper, Sam Russell dealt easily enough with the set-piece however, had no chance with Pritchard's low curling effort from 12 yards, though within two minutes Darlington almost hit back with their first shot of the game from John Campbell.[LNB] After Ian Miller's ball forward, Campbell latched on to it and his shot towards the near post was tipped over by keeper Lee Harrison.[LNB] It was Russell, however, who was easily the busier of the two keepers and two good saves within 30 seconds kept the score down to 1-0.[LNB] Hayes almost had when Buchanan, provider of the first goal, turned in Quakers' penalty past Quinn and unleashed a low shot that Russell did well to save.[LNB] The keeper tipped the loose ball over the bar and from the resulting corner Jamie Hand, left unmarked on the edge of the area, had a low shot from 20 yards that Russell did well to push away.[LNB] Darlington struggled to make an impact in the final third with Campbell, one of seven changes to the side which won 1-0 at Histon on Tuesday, putting plenty of effort in but too many long balls from the back did not find their target.[LNB] When Cooper's men did try passing the ball they made some headway, and after Adam Verma had won a free-kick Quinn saw a glancing header go over from Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's delivery.[LNB] The second goal of the game soon came, however it went to the hosts with the lively Buchanan the scorer and Pritchard turning provider.[LNB] He latched on to Jamie Hand's cross-field pass, from left to right, and cut inside Aaron Brown and Quinn before playing in Buchanan who dinked the ball beyond Russell from 16 yards.[LNB] It was another goal that will cause Cooper to ask questions of his defence who had been poor throughout the first 30 minutes.[LNB] It went from bad to worse for Darlington when striker Chris Senior had to go off with an injury.[LNB] It occurred after a rare foray forward by Quakers when Senior had a near post shot saved by Harrison and then put loose ball across goalmouth that Campbell could not get near to.[LNB] Senior immediately pulled up with an injury and he was replaced by Michael Smith.[LNB] Only at 2-0 did Darlington begin to play any decent football and at the end of one passing move Verma worked his way into penalty area, but keeper Harrison pushed his low shot away for a corner.[LNB] Hayes were unfortunate not score a third before the break following a corner.[LNB] Steve Masterton's delivery to Hand, again unmarked, saw the midfielder let fly with a volley that flew narrowly over crossbar.[LNB] Quakers were poor in the opening 45 minutes, but they started the second period well and Campbell spurned a good chance.[LNB] He stumbled when tripped Adam Bygrave as he dribbled inside the hosts' penalty area, but stayed on his feet when others would have fallen, but his shot was stooped by Harrison.[LNB] Darlington's bright start to the second half continued. Bridge-Wilkinson showed nifty footwork on edge of penalty area, taking the ball away from two Hayes players, before unleashing a dipping effort that Harrison pushed away.[LNB] But with Hayes & Yeading's first attack of second half, after 54 minutes, they made it 3-0. On a counter attack, Peter Holmes effort was blocked but the ball fell to Sam Rents who blasted past Russell.[LNB] Quakers knew then the game was good as out of reach, though Michael Smith should have quickly pulled it back to 3-1, however, he was responsible for a remarkable miss.[LNB] After Bridge-Wilkinson dinked forward a lovely through-ball, Smith chested the ball down on the edge of the penalty area and rounded Harrison but, with all of the goal to aim, somehow put the ball wide.[LNB] He was soon off the hook, however, as two goals inside four minutes pulled Darlington back into contention.[LNB] The first was an own goal, scored by centre-back Bygrove.[LNB] After Verma had sent Taylor racing down the right, his low cross was turned goalwards Bridge-Wilkinson and although Harrison saved the loose ball, Bygrove inadvertently turned the ball over the goal-line.[LNB] And three minutes later it was 3-2, this time Taylor scoring.[LNB] Bridge-Wilkinson's flighted free-kick was met with a towering Miller header, which rebounded off the bar, but Taylor was on hand to smash home from close-range his first goal for the club.[LNB] The quickfire goals handed Darlington the initiative and it should have instigated a charge for a leveller during the final 20 minutes.[LNB] But instead Quakers lost their attacking drive and did little to test the home defence in the closing stages of a lacklustre finish.[LNB] Nathan Modest was sent on for Campbell in Quakers' final substitution, but he was unable to provide a spark.[LNB] A fortnight ago in the defeat at Newport County, Quinn was sent up front to decent effect, causing problems with his aerial presence, but today he only went up front during the latter stages of injury time when Modest won a free-kick 25 yards from goal.[LNB] Bridge-Wilkinson took it, with even Russell sent forward, but his kick sailed wide of the far post and within seconds referee Stuart Burt blew the final whistle on Darlington's 3-2 defeat.[LNB] Goals: Pritchard (10, 1-0), Buchanan (28, 2-0), Rents (54, 3-0); Bygrave og (66, 3-1), Taylor (69, 3-2)[LNB] Bookings: Senior (22, foul); Wright (90, foul)[LNB] Referee: Stuart Burt (Northamptonshire)[LNB] Attendance: 432[LNB] Hayes & Yeading (4-1-4-1): Harrison; Ferrell (Wright 82), Cadmore, Bygrave, Brown; Hand; Pritchard, Masterton, Holmes (Yiadom 73), Rents; Buchanan (Appiah 90). Subs (not used): McWeeney (gk), Green[LNB] Darlington (4-1-2-1-2): Russell; Arnison, Miller, Quinn, Brown (P Gray 57); Taylor; Verma, Terry; Bridge-Wilkinson; Senior (M Smith 34), Campbell (Modest 81). Subs (not used): St Louis-Hamilton (gk), McReady[LNB]
