Darlington 3 Whitby 3 (Whitby won 3-1 on penalties)

Darlington were presented with the October Team of the Month award last night – but they won’t be presented with the Dodson Sport League Cup after losing 3-1 on penalties to Whitby Town after being 3-0 up at one stage.

Manager Martin Gray warned about his indifference to the league cup well in advance, and gave the responsibilities to Mark Fanning, who fielded a mainly youth team, and the youngsters didn’t let the management down as they gave a much older Whitby line up a real run for their money.

But of much greater concern for Gray will be the red card near the end of the match for skipper Gary Brown, who came on in the second half for the injured James Marley, and will now have to serve at least a one match ban in a league game.

Quakers keeper Mark Bell pulled off a good early diving save from a header by Whitby player-manager Darren Williams off a corner, and he was in action again on 12 minutes to hold a shot on the turn from Nail Doran. He made his third save in the first 15 minutes from a long range effort by Ross Gardiner.

But Quakers showed plenty of enthusiasm, and after midfielder Adam Cocks was just wide, Mattie Penal broke clean through and confidently slotted the ball past Shane Bland in the Whitby goal.

Bell made another save from a Mattie Waters shot that was straight at him, but he made a much better save on 27 minutes when Waters broke through, but the keeper blocked well, and then Waters struck the bar from the rebound.

If the game was a league game instead of a league cup tie, then maybe Whitby keeper Shane Bland would have been dismissed on 29 minutes for dashing out of his goal and upending Nathan Stephenson, but justice was done from the free kick into the box from Lewis Walton, which James Marley headed firmly into the net for the second.

And then, amazingly, Quakers went 3-0 up on 32 minutes when David Mitchell found Penal in the box, and even though his shot was blocked, the ball ran for Stephenson to beat Bland from a few yards.

Whitby pulled a goal back on 40 minutes, when Lewis Scar tripped Gardiner, and Mark Robinson drove the ball into the top corner, although Bell got a hand to the ball.

First team skipper Gary Brown came on for the injured Marley at the start of the second half, and he made a couple of timely interceptions.

But he had no chance with Whitby’s second goal on the hour, when Waters dribbled round the back of the defence and set up former Darlington player Dale Hopson to sweep the ball home.

Quakers started to weaken, and after the introduction of Terry Galbraith and David Dowson, Pennal limped off after twice going down with cramp.

Whitby increased the pressure and levelled on 74 minutes when the ball went across the penalty area for Gardiner to slot into the bottom left hand corner.

And Whitby nearly won it with a minute left, when Callum Hassan sidefooted a left wing cross by Anthony Callaghan wide from six yards.

Quakers were reduced to ten men when Brown was shown a straight red for a foul on Doran, although the referee seemed to react to the noise of the challenge rather than its severity. Brown will now face a suspension.

The game went straight to penalties from normal time, and maybe all the Darlington fans knew what would happen next, having not won a penalty shootout for twelve years. Whitby keeper Bland saved three spot kicks from Mitchell, Cocks and Galbraith, with only Dowson scoring, while Craig Farrell, Mark Robinson and Matthew Waters were all successful.

After the game, Gray said; “I thought that the young players did very well to go 3-0 up against a much more senior Whitby side.

“I thought Gary Brown’s challenge should only have been a yellow, just like their keeper’s was in the first half.”

Darlington keeper Peter Jameson has signed a new two and a half year contract with the club. Jameson has become the club’s first choice keeper, and hasn’t conceded a goal the league since the game at Brighouse on October 7.

Darlington: Bell, Scarr, Young (sub Galbraith 62), Marley (Brown 45), Lovegreen, D Mitchell, Wilson, Cocks, Pennal, Stephenson (sub Dowson 59), Walton Subs (not used): Jameson, A Mitchell.

Whitby: Bland, Williams (Callaghan 76), Robinson, Hassan, Poole, Hopson, Doran, Brown, Waters, Hassan, Gardiner (Farrell 79). Subs: Snaith, Burgess, Campbell.

Referee: Barry Gordon