THE draw for the third round of the FA Cup failed to provide Darlington with a money-spinning tie against a Premiership giant, but they were handed a golden opportunity to make further progress.

After easing through with a 4-1 win over Stevenage Borough last Saturday, Quakers were rewarded with a home tie against another Nationwide Conference side, Farnborough Town.

On-loan striker Richard Offiong grabbed most of the headlines with two goals against Stevenage, but it was another strong team performance which helped Quakers progress after the non-league side had competed well in the first half.

Barry Conlon continued his scoring streak with his fourth goal in as many games, while Richard Hodgson enhanced his growing reputation after putting his side ahead.

Hodgson was on target after just 64 seconds, scoring with a low drive after a clearance fell to him on the edge of the area, but the visitors quickly equalised when Richard Howell headed in from a corner.

Hodgson hit the post with a header before providing the pass for Offiong to open his Quakers account on his FA Cup debut. The lively 18-year-old squeezed between two defenders to poke the ball home seven minutes before half-time.

Mick Tait's men got off to the perfect start in the second half, Conlon calming any nerves with a simple finish, and Offiong sealed victory with an excellent goal after 63 minutes. Hodgson was again instrumental, threading a pass through for the England Under-20 international to lift the ball over the Stevenage keeper.

Darlington should go into tomorrow's game at Hull City brimming with confidence as Tait continues to field a largely settled side. He made only one unforced change on Saturday, Craig Liddle returning from suspension at the expense of Stuart Whitehead, while Chris Porter replaced the unavailable Michael Ingham in goal.

But the Tigers, revitalised under new manager Peter Taylor, will provide a tough test