DARLINGTON supporters were given their Christmas present a day late as Tommy Wright’s team put in their best performance of the season to demolish York City.

It has been a sometimes bleak season for Quakers, only showing glimpses of what they are capable of, so they went into yesterday’s game sixth-bottom, without a win in nine matches and having scored only nine times at home.

Indeed, in yesterday’s The Northern Echo Wright admitted: “We’ve got to give our home fans something to cheer about because the away fans get spoilt with the goals.”

His side duly delivered. The team enjoyed their biggest win of the campaign, the 5-1 scoreline being one that nobody saw coming.

Beleaguered York had midfielder Alex Bray sent off just before half-time at which point it was already 2-0 and there was no way back for Sam Collins’ team, who will want revenge when the teams meet again on New Year’s Day.

Two successful penalties by Andrew Nelson, and goals by Harvey Saunders, Jordan Nicholson and Liam Hughes cheered up Quakers fans, whose enthusiasm has been tested lately.

Wright has been the target subject of groans from supporters, but there could be no complaints yesterday.

“It’s been coming,” beamed Wright. “That’s a performance that matched the result. We often talk about the amount of times we should’ve won games.

“We all knew that the lads were capable of that, and the timing – in front of a big crowd – is when you want it to happen.

“Today was a five-star showing, the lads were superb from start to finish. We’re disappointed to concede a goal, but sometimes you can’t have it all.

“Hopefully what we’ve done is put down a marker, foundations to let us build, restore a bit of confidence, a bit more belief.

“If we keep working hard off the pitch results will come.”

Wright’s reaction to Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Altrincham was to restore Hughes and Ben O’Hanlon to the starting XI for Jonny Burn and Williams Kokola, who was unavailable for personal reasons.

There were chances early on at both ends, suggesting supporters were in for a Christmas cracker.

York’s former Darlington goalkeeper Adam Bartlett pushed the ball wide after Nicholson had a low crack from 20 yards, and at the other end Josh Law hit the post with a free-kick.

It was fast and frenetic and Darlington really should be ahead when Saunders and Nicholson were denied by Bartlett, and then Nelson put the loose ball wide.

York went close again when Joe Ironside, who played under Wright at Nuneaton, hit the post, at which point a goal seemed imminent.

It went to Darlington on the half-hour mark, Nelson’s penalty going high into the net after he had been pushed by right-back Nathan Dyer.

Nelson gave Dyer an afternoon he will want to forget, with one particular piece of skill leaving the right-back bamboozled.

Suddenly Darlington were in control and it was 2-0 on 38 minutes, this time Saunders converting from close-range after good play up the right.

Romal Palmer played a key part. The midfielder on loan from Barnsley looks confident on the ball, and he combined with Luke Trotman before passing to Nicholson whose shot was parried by Bartlett before Saunders followed up for his seventh goal of the season.

Bray saw red when he left a foot in on Tom Elliott as the Darlington midfielder cleared, the York man presumably aware of his guilt as he did not protest referee John Matthews’ decision to show red for a a second bookable offence.

It was the seventh game in which Darlington’s opposition have had a player sent off this season, and despite being 2-0 up few Quakers were celebrating victory just yet.

Three times in their nine-game winless run they had thrown away a two-goal margin – against Leamington (2-2), Bradford PA (2-2) and Altrincham (3-3) – so it was not until they were 3-0 ahead on 52 minutes were fans confident.

It was another penalty, this time after former Darlington defender Joe Tait tripped Saunders, with Nelson rolling the ball home for the fourth goal of his loan from Sunderland.

Wright is understandably desperate to keep him for longer than his initial month, while supporters later chanted “sign him up” when he was substituted.

York’s heads dropped. The game was up.

Darlington, however, were enjoying themselves, notably when Palmer performed a party piece by back-heeling a cross into the penalty area.

“He’s got a swagger about him, he’s confident boy and it shows in his play,” said Wright.

It came after Will Smith hit the bar with a header, but it was 4-0 on the hour with a pacy Quakers attack looking threatening every time they ventured forward.

Saunders hooked the ball into space inside York’s half and Bartlett, who otherwise enjoyed a very good game, came rushing out of the penalty area but Nicholson lobbed him.

York pulled a goal back when substitute Jake Wright tucked home neatly from inside the penalty after a pass by fellow sub Liam Agnew, causing brief alarm among Darlington supporters.

York's slight hope was extinguished, however, when Hughes headed home for 5-1.

The defender, who has had a shoulder problem, was recalled ahead of schedule due to Darlington’s defence being so leaky at Altrincham, scored his first goal for the club by evading Tait when meeting a Terry Galbraith corner.

York had their only corner in the 93rd minute, summing up a day that saw the teams experience their respective highest and lowest points of the season.