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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: 96.6 TFM Darlington Arena
  • Attendance: 3527
  • Referee: Swarbrick, N

Live Commentary

90 mins

The ref has blown his whistle for full time.

84 mins

Keith Briggs is being taken off, Chris Wood has come on in his place.

72 mins

Darlington are replacing Bryan Hodge with Neil Wainwright.

64 mins

Goal!! Stephen Dawson scores for Mansfield.

62 mins

Gregg Blundell is being taken off, Michael Cummins has come on in his place.

56 mins

Goal!! Jefferson Louis scores for Mansfield.

49 mins

Gregg Blundell is booked for unsporting behaviour.

46 mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 0.

46 mins

Darlington are replacing Rob Purdie with Ian Miller.

45 mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

45 mins

It's red. He's off. Alan White has been sent off.

45 mins

Lee Bell is replaced by Jonathon D'Laryea.

22 mins

Goal!! Neil Austin scores for Darlington.

19 mins

The referee has booked Tommy Wright.

0 mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Report

Darlington missed a great opportunity to close the gap on leaders Milton Keynes Dons, but it took a debatable sending-off seconds before the interval to change the course of the game.

Visitors Mansfield, who are still struggling for points, took full advantage in a second half where they dominated the game totally.

The lowly visitors began the game strongly and in the ninth minute top scorer Michael Boulding looked certain to score but was denied by Darlington keeper David Stockdale.

Soon afterwards Stockdale was called into action again when he punched clear a menacing cross from Jefferson Louis that fell into the path of Boulding. Darlo captain Steve Foster slid in to deny the Mansfield striker a shot at goal.

In the 16th minute Louis should have scored but failed to connect cleanly with the ball after being set up by Johnny Mullins. Darlington's frustrations were clear when top scorer Tommy Wright was booked in the 19th minute for a deliberate handball.

But the early nerves were forgotten in the 22nd minute when the home side took the lead. A Julian Joachim shot was deflected for a corner and when the kick was sent in by Bryan Hodge, defender Neil Austin slid in at the far post to turn the ball over the line.

The game evened out with neither side creating many more chances as the game headed towards the half-time interval. But in the dying seconds of the half Louis fell to the ground and referee Neil Swarbrick consulted his linesman before showing Darlington defender Alan White a straight red card.

In the second half the visitors made their advantage count and in the 56th minute Matt Hamshaw sent over a right-wing cross for Louis who stooped to head the ball past Stockdale for the equaliser.

Darlington panicked and the visitors took full advantage.

In the 65th minute another header from Louis found Stephen Dawson in space and he ran into the area before coolly firing under Stockdale and into the bottom corner of the net, to give the visitors not only the lead, but a valuable three points in their battle to avoid relegation.

Darlington Team

Mansfield Town Team

Darlington

Mansfield Town

Corners

4 5

Fouls

10 9

Goal attempts

3 16

Shots off target

1 4

Offsides

2 6

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