Source: Northern_Echo
Quakers in no doubt of struggles ahead
Aldershot 3 Darlington 1[LNB] MANAGER Colin Todd took full responsibility after his new-look Darlington team were easily swept aside by Aldershot Town.[LNB] A day after the club emerged from administration, Darlington began the season in the August sunshine with hopes high of a bright future.[LNB] But there was plenty of concern on the pitch at the Recreation Ground as Todds team were soundly beaten.[LNB] The result marked Darlingtons first defeat on the opening day of the season since a trip to Hull in 2003, a result which proved an accurate barometer for the struggles that lay in wait.[LNB] Quakers went on to spend that campaign in the lower half of the division, finishing 18th, and Saturdays first-half performance suggested how difficult this season could be.[LNB] With nine debutants in the starting line-up, they allowed Aldershot to boss the opening 45 minutes, taking a 2-0 lead that became 3-0 soon after the break.[LNB] There were signs of encouragement after the hour mark, when loan striker David Dowson and midfielder Jamie Chandler arrived from the bench to add much-needed impetus.[LNB] Dowson pulled a goal back late on with a classy finish but it wasnt enough and Todd knows his new squad needs to gel quickly.[LNB] They cannot afford a repeat against Leeds United in the Carling Cup this evening.[LNB] Todd was disappointed with the first half display, especially the manner of the opening goal.[LNB] A botched attempt at catching Marvin Morgan offside allowed the striker to make it 1- 0 after only three minutes, making it the first League Two goal of the season.[LNB] Todd said: For the first goal somebody should have tracked their man; a wrong decision was made. Players didnt help each other, we were too one-paced. We shouldve defended better.[LNB] We were very unsure in terms of closing people down.[LNB] We didnt work them when they had the ball, we let them dictate play and we gave some bad goals away.[LNB] Nobody can be too critical of a team that has been created over the course of the last four weeks with small resources.[LNB] The manager was reluctant to pin-point individuals, although keeper David Knight will quickly want to forget his part in the costly second goal.[LNB] He dropped a cross at the feet of Andy Sandell, who tapped home.[LNB] It was a repeat of the howler he committed in a pre-season friendly with Sunderland but Todd said: Its easy to criticise individual people but now is not the time for that.[LNB] Its the first game of the season, and we know theres a lot of work to be done.[LNB] There were a lot of negatives in the first half, Ill take responsibility for that. In the first half we looked a bit unsure and Ill take the responsibility.[LNB] If the fans are honest I think they would be very disappointed, as I was and the players were. And we made ourselves a bigger mountain to climb five minutes into the second half by going 3-0 down.[LNB] That was through Louie Soares effort, fired from a narrow angle.[LNB] Five minutes later on came Dowson and Chandler and with them a change of formation, to 4-3-3, and almost immediately Quakers began to threaten.[LNB] Dean Windass, rarely involved for the first hour, saw a curling free-kick saved and Dowson had a powerful shot beaten away by keeper Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz and Ian Miller headed over from a corner.[LNB] With five minutes to play Windass played the ball into 20-year-old Dowsons path and he powerfully fired home.[LNB] We got something out of the second half, when we played in their half of the pitch, said Todd. But in the first half we didnt even get in their half.[LNB] We changed the formation and by injecting a little bit of pace and energy it helped us.[LNB] But if the players didnt know how hard its going to be, they do now.[LNB] Youngsters stake claim[LNB] BOTH David Dowson and Jamie Chandler are in contention to start Darlingtons televised cup tie with Leeds United this evening (7.45).[LNB] The pair, on loan from Sunderland, had a positive impact during Saturdays defeat at Aldershot Town so have pushed their way into the reckoning for the Carling Cup tie.[LNB] Manager Colin Todd will also assess whether captain Steve Foster should play as he continues his recovery from an ankle operation.[LNB] He played for 74 minutes on Saturday before being replaced by Matt Plummer.[LNB] It was the skippers first 70 minutes, so he was always going to be blowing, said Todd.[LNB] Lee Millers strike late in the first half was enough for Aberdeen to claim a 1-0 win over Hull City in Dean Windass benefit match at the KC Stadium.[LNB] Hull handed a debut to Seyi Olofinjana and brought trialist Henri Camara off the bench, but could not find a way past Aberdeen goalkeeper Stuart Nelson.[LNB] New Darlington player/coach Windass, 40, lined up for both teams, starting the first half in a Hull shirt before being replaced by Daniel Cousin.[LNB] Match facts 1-0: Morgan (3mins, fired low past Knight after beating the offside trap)[LNB] 2-0: Sandell (30, tapped into the net after Knight had the dropped the ball at his feet)[LNB] 3-0: Soares (47, right-footed effort from a narrow angle)[LNB] 3-1: Dowson (85, classy finish from inside the penalty area after latching on to a Windass flick-on) Bookings: Chandler (62mins, foul)[LNB] Referee: Gary Sutton (Lincolnshire) In control of the match throughout and kept the bookings to a minimum 7[LNB] Attendance: 2,866[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] ALDERSHOT TOWN (4-4-2):[LNB] Jaimez-Ruiz 5; Herd 6, Blackburn 7, Hinshelwood 7, Sandell 7; Soares 7, Halls 8, Hudson 6, Harding 6 (Chalmers 81mins); MORGAN 8 (Hylton 78), Donnelly 5 (Grant 75). Subs (not used): Masters, Straker, Winfield[LNB] DARLINGTON (4-4-2):[LNB] 4 Knight: Miserable start to Quakers career, but some good saves after the break[LNB] 6 Arnison: Got forward after the break and had a shot blocked on the line[LNB] 5 Foster: Lasted 74 minutes on his return from injury[LNB] 5 Miller: He and Foster both found Morgan a handful 5Bower: Tried to support Jeff Smith but had a hard task in handling Soares[LNB] 5 Convery: Struggled to make an impact and replaced in second half[LNB] 5 G Smith: Never hid and keen to get on the ball throughout 6Lumsdon: Like Gary Smith, kept Quakers ticking over in central midfield[LNB] 5 J Smith: Had a first half goal ruled out after a foul by Thorpe[LNB] 5 Windass: Rarely featured until Dowson came on and the formation changed[LNB] 7 THORPE: An aerial threat especially in first half, but replaced by Dowson[LNB] Subs:[LNB] Chandler (for Convery, 55mins): Made a difference with drive and determination to push forward 7[LNB] DOWSON (for Thorpe, 55): Took his goal very well and saw another powerful effort saved 7[LNB] Plummer (for Foster, 74) (not used): Liversedge, Bennett, Groves, Riley[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] MARVIN Morgan Darlington never got to grips with the combative centre-forward[LNB]
