A DARLINGTON performance is very much like a well-known savoury spread - you either love it or hate it.

For 75 minutes on Saturday, few could stomach what had been served up at the Darlington Football Stadium.

But, unlike former chairman George Reynolds, Darlington escaped jail at the weekend and saved their best for last.

Not since the home defeat to Oxford in September had Quakers scored a goal from open play - a run of 626 minutes.

On Saturday David Hodgson's men managed it three times in 15 manic minutes.

But until substitute Neil Wainwright's equaliser, Quakers couldn't hit the proverbial barn door.

Once he found the net, Quakers scoffed away with two more clinical strikes from Jonjo Dickman and Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu.

"When we're bad, believe me, we are very bad," Hodgson admitted. "But when we're good no other team in this division can get near us. There's no middle ground."

With such disconcerting tendencies, few, not even Hodgson, would like to predict the destiny of Darlington's season.

Already, after just 15 games this season, fans have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Four league defeats in that time hardly smacks promotion form, yet Quakers are just one point outside the play-off zone after only their second win in nine games.

"We've lost once in our last five games in the league so it ain't that bad," said Hodgson.

"When they go out and give 100 per-cent they invariably come away with something. I have no control over them when they go through the motions at times."

Hodgson admitted Tuesday's LDV Vans Trophy involvement at Kidderminster didn't provide the ideal preparation for Saturday's must-win encounter.

"We didn't have an awful lot of time to work on things after the Kidderminster game because we didn't get back until three in the morning," said Hodgson. "I wanted a meeting with them the next day because I didn't feel we could put up with people going out on to the pitch and not being prepared to work."

But having done his homework on the Robins - Hodgson opted for a diamond midfield in a 4-4-2 formation to counter the visitors' five men across the middle - Quakers were more than prepared.

In little gem Anthony Peacock, Darlington were given the cutting edge to slice through Cheltenham. But defensively, with little cover on either flank, the home side were caught short on more than one occasion.

"We only really had Friday to prepare. What we did know was they came with a 4-5-1, which stops teams from using width. I decided we would go narrow and use the skills of Jamo (Nathan Jameson) and Anthony to thread through them."

But, after Adam Connolly had given Cheltenham a first half lead against the run of play, Hodgson and his players were booed off at half-time - an all too familiar scenario in recent weeks.

"It didn't really go to plan in the first half and that's why the public began to turn again," said Hodgson. "We improved in the second half and I think the supporters appreciated that by applauding and not booing."

Indeed, the introduction of Wainwright shortly after the restart ensured those jeers would turn to cheers come full-time.

Wainwright may not be renowned for his heading ability but the winger was in the right place to nod his side level in the 75th minute. Then Dickman, the provider for Wainwright, made it 2-1 four minutes later. Substitute Ndumbu-Nsungu wrapped up a dramatic victory in injury time.

Sound familiar?

It was on the final day of last season that Darlington beat Cheltenham by the same scoreline with two late goals.

Ironically, Dickman and Wainwright were on target that day too as Quakers missed out on a play-off place by a three-goal difference. Akpo Sodje was Quakers' other scorer in May, although the striker was guilty of wasting three good first half chances this time out.

The former Huddersfield striker poked his first effort over the bar in the opening minutes, before turning his next shot wide moments later after latching on to Peacock's through pass.

And, after Connolly gave Cheltenham the lead in the 30th minute, driving the ball past Sam Russell, Sodje should have levelled with half-time approaching when he volleyed over the bar with the Cheltenham defence all at sea.

Ndumbu-Nsungu was similarly wasteful early in the second half, striking the upright from a tight angle, before sending his next effort woefully wide.

Ditching the diamond for an orthodox four across midfield, Quakers continued to create chances and their persistence finally paid off when Wainwright headed home Dickman's corner.

And, four minutes later, Dickman claimed his first goal of the season with a neat finish into the bottom corner.

With the game deep into injury time, Ndumbu-Nsungu made up for his earlier misses with Quakers' third, acrobatically volleying past Shane Higgs after Cheltenham failed to clear.

Result: Darlington 3 Cheltenham Town 1.

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