Source: Northern_Echo
Rotherham United 1 Darlington 2
Rotherham United 1 Darlington 2[LNB] AFTER five weeks without a game Darlington returned to action in style last night with two second half goals to claim only their third win of the season at promotion-chasing Rotherham United.[LNB] Debutant Tadhg Purcell and Gary Smith scored the goals to give a determined Darlington their first away win of the season.[LNB] Playing against the only team in the division with an undefeated home record, few would have given Quakers a hope, but they showed a resilience that will serve them well in the closing months of the campaign.[LNB] Though the result does not lift Quakers from the bottom of the table, it will certainly lift spirits at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] The recent arrival of six new players demonstrated that Darlington intend to do their utmost to avoid relegation, and four of their recent recruits started at a bitterly cold Don Valley Stadium.[LNB] Darlington made the brighter start, forcing the first shot on goal on nine minutes with Purcell firing straight at keeper Andy Warrington.[LNB] The 24-year-old Irishman was playing alongside a Frenchman in Mor Diop while Scottish striker Patrick Deane was on the bench.[LNB] Shortly after Purcell's chance, the promotion-chasing Millers had their first two efforts Kevin Ellison guilty of missing the target with both.[LNB] Quakers' Jeff Smith, who saw a tame effort easily dealt with by Warrington, was one of only five players to keep their place in the team from the last time Quakers played on December 12.[LNB] That was when Darlington slumped to a fifth consecutive defeat at Torquay, after which they had six games postponed while Staunton made changes to his squad.[LNB] Of the new batch, midfielders Gary Dempsey and Gareth Waite both started, as did defender Alan White and striker Purcell.[LNB] After one hefty challenge he required treatment, but was able to continue and his team-mates showed a similar determination.[LNB] But the home side's Adam Le Fondre had a goal disallowed just before the break.[LNB] After meeting Ellison's corner, he forced the ball over the line but Liversedge had been impeded.[LNB] It was a let-off, but within two minutes of restart Quakers had the lead with Purcell scoring.[LNB] Just 90 seconds into the second half the Irishman was played in down the left channel, cut inside and buried a shot past Warrington to stun Darlington's South Yorkshire hosts.[LNB] Rotherham hit back immediately and came close from a 55th minute corner conceded by Liversedge after he had pushed away a Le Fondre effort.[LNB] Pablo Mills' shot was blocked by White from the resulting set-piece.[LNB] Ex-Spennymoor man Waite came close to scoring on the hour, heading over Jeff Smith's cross but soon after Gary Smith scored his first for the club to make it 2-0.[LNB] He prodded past the keeper from close-range after being played in by Diop, sending the 100 visiting fans into raptures.[LNB] But the home supporters were furious at seeing their side 2-0 down to bottom of the table Quakers.[LNB] With the Darlington defence holding firm, Staunton's side were rarely threatened for much of the second period.[LNB] With Quakers two goals up, Staunton took off Purcell and Diop, replacing them with teenagers Curtis Main and debutant Deane, but within minutes Rotherham had pulled one back.[LNB] On 78 minutes Cummins, on as a sub, scored from the edge of the area following a corner and suddenly Quakers were rattled.[LNB] But they hung on, surviving a nervy eight minutes of injury time and a handful of Rotherham corners, to secure a morale-boosting victory which demonstrated that Darlington are not dead yet.[LNB] Matchfacts Goals: 0-1 (47, Purcell), 0-2 (63, G Smith); 1-2 (78, Cummins) Bookings: Roberts (75, foul), Mills (85, foul), White, Giddings, G.[LNB] Smith (all fouls) Referee: Anthony Taylor (Wythenshawe) 7 Attendance: 3,234 Entertainment: [LNB] ROTHERHAM (4-4-2): Warrington 6; Joseph 6, Mills 4, Sharps 5, Green 6; Roberts 6, Harrison 5 (Cummins 67, 7), LAW 7, Ellison 6 (Taylor); Broughton 4 (Pope 67), Le Fondre 5. Subs (not used): Annerson, Tonge, Nicholas, Brogan[LNB] DARLINGTON (4-4-2): Liversedge 7, Arnison 6, White 7, Miller 7, Giddings 6, Waite 7, Dempsey 6, G Smith 7 (Foster 90), J Smith 6; Diop 7 (Deane 73), PURCELL 8 (Main 73). Subs (not used): Jones (gk), Burn, Gray, Mulligan[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH TADHG Purcell showed a steely determination[LNB]
