Nothing goes right for woeful Quakers

WHEN will this misery end?

After the final game of Darlington’s traumatic season is the answer, though on current form their status will be decided well before then.

An impending sense of doom lingers, but once the final whistle sounds on May 8 Quakers will finally be able to cast this wretched season aside and begin looking ahead to less stressful times.

They are currently stuck in a ruinous rut, entrenched in a series of defeats that are hastening their departure from the Football League.

Saturday’s defeat was the fifth in a row and as the latest nail went into the coffin it was Torquay who held the hammer.

It’s being passed around League Two like a baton.

It was Port Vale’s turn last Tuesday, after which manager Steve Staunton labelled the Torquay match as “mustwin”, and it’s Bury’s turn tomorrow at Gigg Lane.

Quakers have not suffered six consecutive defeats since 2006, but lowly Torquay made that a distinct possibility by securing their first double of the season.

Having also beaten Quakers 5-0 in December, Saturday represented the Gulls’ first away win since August. But they were one of the worst sides to play at the Arena this season, which says something about Darlington.

No blame can be apportioned to the Devon club for worsening Quakers’ plight, though an exasperated Staunton bemoaned his side’s luck in conceding the crucial second goal.

That was Eunan O’Kane’s strike in first half injury time, the winger having evaded three defenders before scuffing an effort that bobbled past Shane Redmond via a deflection.

Torquay had opened the scoring on ten minutes, defender Mark Ellis allowed to lash home at the second attempt after his header at a corner had been blocked.

But just two minutes earlier Darlington’s Gareth Waite had spurned an opportunity, after being teed up by Tadhg Purcell, by directing a shot too close to keeper Scott Bevan.

For the remainder of a drab half neither keeper had much to keep him occupied as two poor teams slugged it out in a 45-minute period devoid of quality and entirely lacking in entertainment.

Darlington had held far possession and Staunton felt his team were unfortunate to be behind. He said: “I couldn’t believe we were 2-0 down. We had all the play and the chances, even though they had been half chances, so to be two goals behind was very harsh.

“It can be a cruel game sometimes and it’s certainly not good for us at the moment.

“The second goal was the killer. It was a weak shot that was miss-hit and went in off a player’s heel. That’s the way it is going for us.

“If that shot had been at the other end of the pitch it would have gone straight to the Torquay keeper.

“I’m almost at a loss now because everything is going against us and the second goal summed it up.”

Satisfied with this team’s performance, the manager made no changes at the break and also stuck with the 3-5-2 formation that he had deployed.

That meant a first start for 17-year-old defender Dan Burn, a full debut for Ross Chisholm and a recall for teenage striker Curtis Main, who pulled a goal back on 54 minutes.

He could hardly have missed. Main tapped into an empty net after Bevan attempted to stop Simon Madden, who had met Waite’s inviting cross.

Even before then Main and Chisholm had missed chances as Darlington made a more productive start to the second period.

Perhaps they hoped they could copy Chesterfield and Port Vale’s recent Arena achievements by turning a losing position into a winning one.

There was plenty of endeavour from Darlington but Bevan had little to do.

In the closing stages Staunton sent on Mor Diop and Patrick Deane but it was Torquay sub Mustapha Carayol who got the next goal.

He met Chris Zebroski’s right-wing cross to slam home at the far post, after escaping Madden, to complete a disastrous day.

“I can’t fault the lads for their effort and commitment, so credit to them for battling away,” added Staunton.

“I thought we were on top for the majority of the game and it was only in the last ten minutes when we were throwing bodies forward that they had more chances.

“That’s only natural. I’d rather get beaten 3-1 and throw men forward than lose 2-1 and not try to equalise.

“It’s sickening now because there’s been enough in the performances to deserve a result.”

Match facts

Goals:

0-1: Ellis (10, lashed home from close-range after a corner)

0-2: O’Kane (45, scuffed shot into net from 18 yards)

1-2: Main (54, tap-in after Waite’s left-wing cross)

1-3: Carayol (85, far post finish after a low cross from the right)

Bookings: Barnes (31, foul); White (48, foul); Mansell (66, dissent)

Referee: Scott Mathieson (Stockport) – bizarre moment in the first half when he lectured Alan White for seemingly hours but there were no real howlers 7

Attendance: 1,819

Entertainment: ✰

DARLINGTON (3-5-2):

5 Redmond: Not at fault for any of the goals and had little else to keep him occupied;

5 Miller: Took some time to adjust to playing with three at the back

5 White: A solid display but would have been interesting to see him play with the now departed Foster

6 BURN: Ellis evaded him for the first goal in an otherwise solid first start;

6 Madden: Allowed Carayol to escape him for third as Quakers attacked but did well going forward

4 Chisholm: After being teed up by Main wasted a superb chance to score in his first start for the club

5 Waite: Had a hand in Main’s goal, though missed a chance to make it 1-0

4 Dempsey: Did not impose himself on the game enough

6 Giddings: Playing as a wingback may suit him better than left-back;

5 Purcell: A quiet showing by his standards, but was always probing for an opening

6 Main: Could not have missed his scoring chance but Staunton wasn’t entirely satisfied with his performance

Subs:

Diop (for Main 77) Deane (for Waite 77) Gray (for Burn 80) (not used): Liversedge (gk), G Smith, Milne, Mulligan

TORQUAY UNITED (4-4-2): Bevan 6, Robertson 5, Ellis 6, BRANSTON 6, Rowe-Turner 5, O’Kane 5 (Rendell 79), Mansell 5, Thompson 5 (Benyon 68, 5), Wroe 6, Zebroski 6, Barnes 5 (Carayol 55, 7). Subs (not used): Searle, Nicholson, Stevens, Smith

MAN OF THE MATCH

GUY Branston – an easy day’s work for the brutish defender.