Super-sub Neil Wainwright may have been soaking up the plaudits after his match-winning brace on Saturday but the real hero of the day was not even on the bench.

But for Neil Maddison's unusual gesture to sit out of the squad of 16, Quakers may well have been reflecting on a fifth League defeat of the season.

Manager Mick Tait was all set to name an unchanged squad when Maddison intervened, offering his place on the bench to the returning Wainwright, fit again after a groin injury.

And Maddison may well live to regret his kind offer because Wainwright will surely be one of the first names on the team sheet for tomorrow's tough trip to York City - after his two-goal blast helped Quakers turn around a one-goal deficit to beat Division Three new boys Doncaster Rovers.

"We were going to go with the same 16 as last week but Maddo told me he didn't mind dropping off the bench so that we could put Wainy in so that was a great attitude," said Tait.

And it is that team spirit which has lifted the early season gloom at the Reynolds Arena.

"The lads are spot on at the moment, they're all fighting for each other and it was good of Maddo to come out with that," said Tait.

"Not many people would offer to do that." Wainwright - who made history last season as the last ever scorer at Feethams - had only been on the pitch for little over a minute when, with virtually his first touch, he slid home the equaliser after Jamie Paterson had given Rovers a 52nd minute lead from the penalty spot.

And five minutes after levelling, Wainwright was on hand to lash home the winner.

An inspired substitution for Tait but not even he could have anticipated the kind of impact Wainwright would make.

"We needed to change it because it was getting a little bit stale," said Tait.

"We needed to liven things up a little bit so we put two wide men on and it happened for us straight away.

"It's not always the case but it worked well for us today."

And, while Tait made one or two alterations with the subs' bench, the starting XI remained unchanged from the side which beat Carlisle a week earlier.

Rovers, back in the Football League after a five-year absence, began confidently and only the outstretched leg of David McGurk prevented Michael McIndoe from squaring the ball for striker Gregg Blundell after just seven minutes.

Midfielder Ashley Nicholls almost caught Rovers keeper Andy Warrington off-guard with a clever flicked shot.

And moments later Nicholls was again denied by Warrington when his near post header was tipped over.

With just over half an hour played Barry Conlon - who hit both goals against Carlisle seven days earlier - rattled the cross-bar with a thumping header which had Warrington beaten.

Both sides continued to show plenty of invention going forward and Andy Collett had to be alert to save Blundell's low angled effort.

The Quakers keeper then produced a stunning reflex save to deny Paul Barnes but with the danger not clear from Collett's block, the visitors were awarded a penalty when Paul Green was barged over by Gary Pearson.

Paterson made no mistake from the spot much to the delight of the 1,500 Rovers fans behind Collett's goal.

This was the cue for Tait to make a double substitution with the introduction of Ian Clark and Wainwright.

And it was the latter who made the most difference, almost immediately, when from little more than two yards out, he turned in Matt Clarke's cross from the left.

Wainwright then made it two after 67 minutes when, unmarked at the back post, he drove home Nicholls' cross with a ferocious low drive. With time running out for the visitors, Quakers defender Joey Hutchinson thwarted Barnes twice with well-timed challenges in the box.

Wainwright almost capped a dream return to the side when he shot wide after a powerful run from Nicholls.

And without getting too carried away, Tait takes his side to Bootham Crescent tomorrow night knowing his team are showing the kind of attitude which will win them plenty of games this season.

Result: Darlington 2, Doncaster Rovers 1.

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