Darlington draw at Saltergate

A patched-up Darlington performed remarkably well in adversity to draw at Chesterfield this afternoon.

Dave Penney's side travelled to Saltergate without several key players, lost two more just hours before kick-off and two more went off injured in the first half.

Strikers Liam Hatch and Danny Carlton were both ruled out as a concern has arisen over loan players' eligibility during administration.

Penney discovered the problem on Friday afternoon and only had it confirmed at 1.15pm, so he left Hatch and Carlton out of the side.

Both have featured heavily since Quakers went into administration on February 25 and the situation will be resolved soon by the football authorities, but it is unlikely either will play on Monday against Bury.

Already without captain Steve Foster, Andy Oakes, Neil Austin and Gregg Blundell, plus Hatch and Carlton, Darlington also lined up without Rob Purdie who failed a fitness test.

With Hatch and Carlton in the stands, Darlington began with a 4-5-1 formation but for most of the first half struggled to adapt to their new shape.

They made four changes to the side that lost in midweek to Wycombe, but were under the cosh from an early stage.

They did their best to keep out the Spirerites with some last-ditch tackles, but the hosts' first effort on goal came on nine minutes with Martin Gritton off target with a scissor-kick.

The chance came seconds after Darlington's Alan White survived a penalty appeal for handball, and soon after keeper Przemyslaw Kazimierczak escaped after spilling a free-kick.

The Pole was unable to gather Gregor Robertson's delivery but as the ball ran loose the keeper redeemed himself by blocking left-back Danny Hall's effort.

With Pawel Abbott isolated as the lone striker, he saw little of the ball as Darlington were forced to defend for long periods with Chesterfield striker Jack Lester a constant danger.

The 33-year-old has scored 50 goals in all competitions since moving to Saltergate almost two years ago and he went on looking for number 51 by skipping challenges from Jason Kennedy and Ian Miller before White blocked an 18-yard shot.

From the resulting Robertson corner, Hall headed wide before Miller flung himself in the way to stop a Gritton shot reaching goal after the striker had played a neat one-two with Lester.

From the resulting corner came another block, this time from Ricky Ravenhill who prevented Till's 18-yard effort from reaching Kazimierczak's goal.

Ravenhill was wearing the captain's armband in place of Purdie, who has been the stand-in for Foster.

After almost half an hour of Chesterfield possession, Quakers' first shot at goal came in the 28th minute with Adam Griffin firing a volley back across goal that was dealt with by keeper Tommy Lee.

But Griffin was about to become the first of two Darlington casualties before the break, the left-winger limping off on 35 minutes.

He was replaced by youth team player Josh Gray, but remarkably Gray lasted only five minutes before he too had to be substituted.

Having only recently recovered from a hamstring strain, he went off with what appeared to be a similar injury and Gray was replaced by Franz Burgmeier.

And with his first touch the Liechtenstein international came closer to scoring than anyone else did in the opening 45 minutes.

He cut inside and from a central position 35 yards out he blasted the ball high towards goal, drawing an impressive save from Lee.

But from the resulting corner Burgmeier's delivery trickled along the byline and into the side-netting.

Having struggled to create chances before the break, Darlington were perhaps hoping for a moment of magic to produce a goal and it almost came five minutes into the second half.

Abbott turned and fired a venomous shot that Lee could only parry but there was no Darlington player on hand to tuck home the rebound, allowing Chesterfield to clear.

Derek Niven fired at goal from just inside the area but Kazimierczak collected easily and from another Chesterfield corner centre-back Dan Gray shot wide when he had should have at least hit the target.

Gray had been sent on midway through the first half when Chesterfield's Aaron Downes had gone off injured soon before Griffin left the field.

On 58 minutes Burgmeier fired a 25-yard free-kick over the bar and five minutes later, after David Poole had been cynically fouled by Robertson, Darlington had another set-piece opportunity from similar range.

Tim Ryan's low blast was blocked and although Lee was not being tested, Quakers were at least creating problems for the hosts who had two players booked in quick succession, Robertson and Lowry the offenders.

The home fans were becoming frustrated with their team as after the break they had failed to trouble Darlington's defence with Kazimierczak having little to do other than collect crosses.

Penney switched to 4-4-2 and sent on teenager Curtis Main who was involved in the move that led to Lee making another save.

Poole received the ball after Abbott had cleverly nutmegged Dan Gray, playing in Poole who fired straight Lee.

It was not until the final ten minutes of the half that Chesterfield caused Darlington a problem with subs Ben Algar and Scott Boden combining to create a glorious opportunity.

Algar's cross from the left found Boden five yards from goal but his header struck the post and rebounded away to safety.

A goal then would have been cruel on Quakers who, without several key players, had defended valiantly in the first half and come close to scoring after the break so they and deserved a point.

But in the final stages it was so nearly all three as only a last-ditch tackle eight yards from goal denied Kennedy who was about to shoot after he had latched on to a perfectly-weighted Abbott through-ball.

At the end of the game the players, who held their post-match team talk on the pitch in front of the away end, were applauded off the field by a fully-appreciative travelling support.

Bookings: Robertson (63mins, foul), Lowry (66, foul)

Referee: James Linington (Isle of Wight)

Attendance: 3,642

Chesterfield (4-4-2): Lee; Wilson, Downes (Gray 25mins), Hall, Robertson; Till (Algar 80), Niven, Lowry, Currie (Boden 70); Lester, Gritton. Subs (not used): Austin, Kerry

Darlington (4-5-1): Kazimierczak, Valentine, White, Miller, Ryan; Poole, Ravenhill, Kennedy, Hulbert (Main 75), Griffin (Gray 35, Burgmeier 40)); Abbott. Subs (not used): Pocklington, Fortune