TWO goals in the dying minutes turned triumph into frustration for Quakers at Gigg Lane.

Leading 2-0 with three minutes of normal time left, Quakers looked as if they were on the verge of back to back wins for the first time this season, until their defence caved in.

To a neutral, a draw was maybe a fair result. Bury enjoyed most of the pressure in the game, with Darlington 'keeper Andy Collett pulling off a couple of good saves behind a new defensive formation of three centre halves.

But after Ian Clark made it 2-0 from the spot - Quakers' first successful penalty this season - with less than 20 minutes left, they looked odds-on to win their second away game of the campaign.

Before the game, Quakers would probably have settled for a point, but not in these circumstances. Judging by the players' reaction on the final whistle, it seemed like a defeat.

No matter the level of football, a two-goal lead shouldn't be allowed to slip away. The fans in row Z should be taking evasive action and the corner flag should be receiving some close attention. But instead Quakers kept the game alive, and provided some encouragement for the Shakers.

So instead of gaining some much-needed breathing space near the bottom, Quakers are still looking over their shoulders at Carlisle, Swansea and Boston, who are the next visitors to Feethams.

Manager Tommy Taylor was as frustrated as everybody else after the game.

"We work on things in which our opponents can only put the ball in certain areas of the field," he said.

"But one of our players didn't get tight enough and allowed one of theirs to get in a cross for the first goal.

"The same happened for the second, and there was somebody unmarked at the far post. There were too many shirts in our box not being picked up

"We didn't kill the game off at 2-0. Instead we tried to get a third goal.

"We should have been putting the ball in areas where we could win free kicks and throw-ins, and wind the clock down.

"From being comfortable at 2-0, we were hanging on for dear life. I have told the players that it is no use being outstanding on the training field, and then being Mr Average when a game comes along."

Taylor abandoned his usual 4-4-2 philosophy, and brought back Matt Clarke alongside Craig Liddle and Stuart Whitehead to form a central defensive partnership.

"I thought we were quite comfortable in the first half using that system, especially when the two wing backs knew their positions.

"Ryan Valentine was nice and comfortable in the first half, and took his goal really well. He could have had another, but he decided to pass the ball instead.

"But losing Stuart through injury threw us a bit in the second half."

Quakers were under pressure for most of the first half. Pawel Abbott, on loan from Preston, and Terry Dunfield both fired over the bar in the opening minutes, and the closest Bury came to scoring was when Quakers left Chris Billy completely unmarked outside the box to receive a free- kick from Terry Dunfield, and he put a right-foot shot just wide of the post.

Liddle and Simon Betts both made timely clearances after Jon Newby twice got round the back of the defence on the bye line, before Quakers took the lead with their first effort of the game after 34 minutes.

Barry Conlon chested down a pass from Simon Betts, and played the ball neatly into the path of advancing left wing back Ryan Valentine, who took the ball on for a few yards before slotting a left-foot shot past Glyn Garner in the Bury goal.

In the second half, Collett made a couple of good saves from Jon Newby and Abbott, then went full stretch to push another low effort from Abbott around the post.

After Conlon missed a free header from Ian Clark's cross, Quakers added a second. Conlon and substitute Adam Rundle, on for the injured Whitehead, managed to work the ball into the box where Mark Ford was upended by Garner, and Clark, with the help of the inside of the post, converted the penalty.

Bury player-manager Andy Preece brought himself on to lift his side in the closing stages, but Quakers appeared firm.

But with three minutes left, Jamie Stuart found space to cross and Dave Nugent headed into the top corner.

It was left to Micky Nelson, the former Bishop Auckland player, to have the last laugh.

Result: Bury 2 Darlington 2.

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