Staunton makes a quick impact

WHATEVER techniques Steve Staunton implemented before Saturday’s game, it would not be a bad idea if he were to do the same again before the next match at Barnet.

Because the weekend’s fully-deserved 2-1 win over promotion-chasing Shrewsbury Town was a huge improvement on some of the season’s earlier performances that have left Quakers anchored to the bottom of the table.

The win also offered hope that, despite previous disappointing displays that had some already resigned to relegation, Darlington actually stand a real chance of avoiding the drop.

They went 1-0 down after only 100 seconds and it might have been expected that heads would drop, but instead Darlington demonstrated a newfound resilience.

They levelled with a 26th minute Jamie Devitt free-kick and when debutant striker Simon Thomas netted just after the restart, Quakers led for the first time this season.

It was also the first time Darlington scored twice in a game during what has been a miserable campaign that began under the short-lived leadership of Colin Todd and Dean Windass.

With fundamentally the team that Todd would send out most weeks, Darlington put on a standard of performance that they had not come close to in their previous 12 games, of which they had lost ten and drawn two.

Had Todd and Windass had been watching from the stands they would have wondered why the players did not perform for them as they did on Saturday.

Or maybe they would ask what they themselves had been doing wrong.

The answer, it seems, lies with what goes on during the week at Darlington’s training ground.

After being appointed a fortnight ago, Staunton and assistant Kevin Richardson took charge of a full week’s training for the first time ahead of Shrewsbury’s visit Staunton explained: “What we’ve done is increase the tempo in training, we’ve put ideas into their heads and we’ve put demands on people and that’s it. The players have gone out and done it for themselves.

“Myself and Kevin can only tell them so much based on our own experiences. You can demand of them certain things but once they’re on the pitch it’s up to them so they deserve all the credit.

“They’ve taken on board everything, they worked hard in training and that showed today. But we can get fitter and better.”

Only early on did Shrewsbury threaten. They scored when keeper Russell Hoult flapped at Jake Robinson’s cross, allowing Lewis Neal to head home.

Neal then missed a one-onone chance with Hoult after the keeper’s misdirected clearance, but thereafter Darlington were in control with Devitt tormenting the Shrews and striker Kevin Gall clearly intent on winning another contract.

The Smiths – that is winger Jeff and midfielder Gary, not the band, clearly – were symbolic of Quakers’ marked improvement with both putting in their best displays so far.

Gary Smith even came close to goal with a rasping 20-yard effort that struck the post, and seconds later he won the free-kick from which Devitt levelled.

Devitt’s effort struck the post and would not have crossed the line had it not deflected in off keeper Steve Phillips. Perhaps that was the luck Quakers have been crying out for.

Shrewsbury were eighth before Saturday but they had no answer to Darlington’s determination, which culminated in Thomas’ debut goal on 57 minutes.

He joined on a three-month loan from Crystal Palace on Friday but wasted little time in making an impact, with the lanky striker prodding home from close-range after Ian Miller’s shot had been parried by Phillips following Devitt’s corner.

“From what I can gather we hadn’t been in front in the league this season so it was pleasing that we came back from a goal down,” added Staunton. “But the most pleasing thing for me wasn’t just the general play, but the amount of second balls we won.

“There was an anticipation of getting to the first ball as well as the second ball. We played some good football at times, but the doggedness of the team was very pleasing.

They worked their socks off, every single one of them, and you could give man of the match to any one of them on the pitch in a white jersey.”

Staunton may have been reluctant to pinpoint his star man, but Devitt caught the eye.

Whenever he had the ball Shrewsbury were in trouble, especially their full-backs who Devitt tormented like a competitive dad playing football in the garden with a toddler.

A quick change of direction left Kevin McIntyre on his backside and after the break he played the ball through Dean Holden’s legs.

It gave the crowd another moment to savour on a memorable day that ended with an entirely justified standing ovation.

Match facts

Goals: 0-1: Neal (2, deft header after rising to meet Robinson’s right-wing cross); 1-1: Devitt (26, 20-yard free-kick whipped over the wall and over the line via post and keeper) 2-1: Thomas (57, close-range finish after the keeper had parried Miller’s shot)
Bookings: Chandler (14, foul); Cansdell-Sheriff (39, foul), Neal (68, foul), Labadie (81, foul); Devitt (90, dissent)
Referee: Andy Haines (Sunderland) - All the cautions were necessary but he did awarded the occasional debatable free-kick 7
Attendance: 1,958
Entertainment: ✰✰✰✰

DARLINGTON (4-4-2):

6 Hoult: Not entirely convincing; should have caught the cross when Shrews scored;

6 Arnison: Vital goal-line clearance in dying moments ensured Darlington’s victory

8 Foster: The captain was in determined mood and won just about every challenge

7 Miller: Helped ensure the Shrews strikers saw little of the ball

7 Barnett: Showed composure on the ball and got forward well to combine with Devitt;

8 DEVITT: A classy player; Darlington looked dangerous whenever he had the ball

8 G Smith: Without question his best display of the season. Got forward plenty

7 Chandler: Lacked the composure required but made his presence felt

7 J Smith: Like the other Smith, this was also his best display so far, a big improvement on last week;

6 Thomas: Not great in the air but still caused problems for the Shrews and scored the winner

7 Gall: Deserved a goal for his sheer workrate; there cannot be many who put as much effort in as Gall

Subs: Main (for Gall, 76) Barnes (for G Smith, 90) (not used): Knight (gk), Plummer, Bennett, Groves, Convery

SHREWSBURY TOWN (4-4-2):

Phillips 6; Holden 5, Langmead 5, Hooman 5, Cansdell-Sherriff 6, NEAL 7, Labadie 6, Murray 6 (Leslie 70, 5), McIntyre 6; Bright 5 (Gray 58, 5), Robinson 5 (Elder 36, 5).

Subs (not used): Arestidou (gk), Simpson, Richards, Taylor

MAN OF THE MATCH
JAMIE Devitt – such a shame that he appears to be heading back to Hull