DARLINGTON climbed into the top six with a magnificent 2-1 victory, inspired by midfielder Will Hatfield at Nethermoor.

Hatfield, who spent four years as a Guiseley player, was magnificent and scored what proved to be the winner on the half hour mark.

But there were more heroes than just the midfielder, with Sean Reid once again having to play as an emergency centre half after Louis Laing went off during the first half. Reid played a big part as Guiseley launched an aerial assault, playing with five up front at one point.

Manager Alun Armstrong, whose side has now won seven out of the last eight said: “You’ve got to hand it to these lads, they’ve got a strong never-say-die spirit, they never know when they’re beat. Will was very determined to win on his return to his old club, he was everywhere on the field.

“We took a lot of satisfaction from that win, it was the toughest we’ve had in this run – and we’ve got another tough one coming up on Saturday.”

There were two quick goals, Quakers awarded a penalty after just five minutes when Adam Campbell put Justin Donawa into the box, and even though the winger seemed to have over run the ball, he was brought down by keeper Marcus Dewhurst.

Campbell confidently drove the ball into the roof of the net for his 13th goal of the season.

However, Guiseley pulled level on 13 minutes when the pace of Kaine Felix took him away from the Darlington defence on the right, and after he shrugged off a challenge, turned the ball past Chris Elliott from a tight angle.

Quakers were forced into a sub on 21 minutes when defender Louis Laing went off with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Gary Martin, with Sean Reid dropping into the back four, just as he did last Saturday when Terry Galbraith went off injured.

Hatfield reinforced his position as a Quakers fans favourite on 30 minutes when he picked the ball up after a patient build up involving several players about 30 yards out. He ran powerfully forward and struck a low right foot shot into the bottom corner for his second goal of the season.

Hatfield continued to rampage forward in the second half, and had another shot blocked after Jarrett Rivers’ cross was cleared out to him on the edge of the box.

Then some good interplay in the middle between Hatfield and Campbell saw the latter set up Joe Wheatley with a neat flick, and the midfielder struck a 20-yarder just over the top.

Elliott pulled off a good save on 65 minutes, when he just managed to fingertip away a header by Hamza Bencherif from six yards out.

Quakers then put on David Atkinson to shore up the defence, the utility player making his long-awaited return from an ankle injury, with Campbell going off, but then the heroic Hatfield limped off and was replaced by Omar Holness.

But despite having to reshuffle, Quakers never gave an inch, and only allowed one opportunity, a header by Aaron Martin that went over the top.

Goals: Campbell pen (5, 0-1); Felix (13, 1-1); Hatfield (30, 1-2)

Bookings: Jones, Barkers; Hedley

Referee: Adam Williamson

Attendance 859

Guiseley: Dewhurst, McNally, Nicholson, Bencherif, Digie (Barkers 79), Jones (Ekpolo 59) Felix, Cantrill, Johnson A Martin, Soleman (Shaw 67). Subs (not used): Newall, Sheppeard

Darlington: Elliott, Hedley, Watson, Laing (Martin 21), Storey, Wheatley, Hatfield (Holness 84), Rivers, Donawa, Reid Campbell (Atkinson 74). Subs (not used): Thompson, Bascome