Quakers stun Rotherham to claim first away win

AFTER five weeks without a game Darlington returned to action in style last night with two second half goals to claim only their third win of the season at promotion-chasing Rotherham United.

Debutant Tadhg Purcell and Gary Smith scored the goals to give a determined Darlington their first away win of the season.

Playing against the only team in the division with an undefeated home record, few would have given Quakers a hope, but they showed a resilience that will serve them well in the closing months of the campaign.

Though the result does not lift Quakers from the bottom of the table, it will certainly lift spirits at The Northern Echo Arena.

The recent arrival of six new players demonstrated that Darlington intend to do their utmost to avoid relegation, and four of their recent recruits started at a bitterly cold Don Valley Stadium.

Darlington made the brighter start, forcing the first shot on goal on nine minutes with Purcell firing straight at keeper Andy Warrington.

The 24-year-old Irishman was playing alongside a Frenchman in Mor Diop while Scottish striker Patrick Deane was on the bench.

Shortly after Purcell’s chance, the promotion-chasing Millers had their first two efforts – Kevin Ellison guilty of missing the target with both.

Quakers’ Jeff Smith, who saw a tame effort easily dealt with by Warrington, was one of only five players to keep their place in the team from the last time Quakers played on December 12.

That was when Darlington slumped to a fifth consecutive defeat at Torquay, after which they had six games postponed while Staunton made changes to his squad.

Of the new batch, midfielders Gary Dempsey and Gareth Waite both started, as did defender Alan White and striker Purcell.

After one hefty challenge he required treatment, but was able to continue and his team-mates showed a similar determination.

But the home side’s Adam Le Fondre had a goal disallowed just before the break.

After meeting Ellison’s corner, he forced the ball over the line but Liversedge had been impeded.

It was a let-off, but within two minutes of restart Quakers had the lead with Purcell scoring.

Just 90 seconds into the second half the Irishman was played in down the left channel, cut inside and buried a shot past Warrington to stun Darlington’s South Yorkshire hosts.

Rotherham hit back immediately and came close from a 55th minute corner conceded by Liversedge after he had pushed away a Le Fondre effort.

Pablo Mills’ shot was blocked by White from the resulting set-piece.

Ex-Spennymoor man Waite came close to scoring on the hour, heading over Jeff Smith’s cross but soon after Gary Smith scored his first for the club to make it 2-0.

He prodded past the keeper from close-range after being played in by Diop, sending the 100 visiting fans into raptures.

But the home supporters were furious at seeing their side 2-0 down to bottom of the table Quakers.

With the Darlington defence holding firm, Staunton’s side were rarely threatened for much of the second period.

With Quakers two goals up, Staunton took off Purcell and Diop, replacing them with teenagers Curtis Main and debutant Deane, but within minutes Rotherham had pulled one back.

On 78 minutes Cummins, on as a sub, scored from the edge of the area following a corner and suddenly Quakers were rattled.

But they hung on, surviving a nervy eight minutes of injury time and a handful of Rotherham corners, to secure a morale-boosting victory which demonstrated that Darlington are not dead yet.

Matchfacts

Goals: 0-1 (47, Purcell), 0-2 (63, G Smith); 1-2 (78, Cummins)
Bookings: Roberts (75, foul), Mills (85, foul), White, Giddings, G.

Smith (all fouls)
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Wythenshawe) 7
Attendance: 3,234
Entertainment: ✰✰✰

ROTHERHAM (4-4-2): Warrington 6; Joseph 6, Mills 4, Sharps 5, Green 6; Roberts 6, Harrison 5 (Cummins 67, 7), LAW 7, Ellison 6 (Taylor); Broughton 4 (Pope 67), Le Fondre 5. Subs (not used): Annerson, Tonge, Nicholas, Brogan

DARLINGTON (4-4-2): Liversedge 7, Arnison 6, White 7, Miller 7, Giddings 6, Waite 7, Dempsey 6, G Smith 7 (Foster 90), J Smith 6; Diop 7 (Deane 73), PURCELL 8 (Main 73). Subs (not used): Jones (gk), Burn, Gray, Mulligan

MAN OF THE MATCH
TADHG Purcell – showed a steely determination