Mighty Quinn gives Quakers extra steel

IF Adam Quinn felt any pressure at slotting into one of the best defences in the division then he did not let it show with an imperious Darlington debut.

Quinn’s dominant display in the 0-0 draw at home to topof- the-table AFC Wimbledon banished any lingering regret over John Dempster.

The Kettering player last week agreed to join Darlington with manager Mark Cooper wanting him to replace Danny Hone.

Dempster even gave an interview in which he spoke of his excitement at working under Cooper, but Crawley lured him with an 11th hour mega-bucks raid.

Cooper, however, appears to have come up trumps with Quinn.

Surplus to requirements at Crawley, he brought an authoritative presence to maintain Quakers’ impressive defensive record – just 19 goals conceded in 23 games.

The 28-year-old, whose arrival freed up Liam Hatch to make a nuisance of himself up front, won every challenge.

“Adam was my man of the match,” said Cooper.

“He headed everything away, he looked composed on the ball and was playing against one of the best strikers in the league in Danny Kedwell but didn’t give him time.

“Signing him was a nobrainer.

He was captain of Crawley and has played in the play-off final at this level so he knows what it is all about.”

Quinn’s play-off final was while with Halifax, a defeat to Hereford United in 2006, and the player says he could reach the same stage with Darlington.

Quakers are nine points off the play-offs with half of the season to go, and Quinn said: “The manager wants to strengthen the squad further, but looking at this performance against the top of the league team, there’s no reason why we can’t climb the table.

“The play-off final is the biggest game I have played and I want to do it again.

“We’re not a million miles away from the play-offs now. It only takes one good run and you can find yourselves right up there.”

Darlington have dropped a place to 12th but could go higher – they are at home to bottom-of-the-table Histon tomorrow – if they can maintain their momentum.

Following last Monday’s win over Barrow, Saturday was a second consecutive promising display and Quinn helped ensure that goalkeeper Sam Russell had only minimal involvement as Wimbledon were made to look ordinary.

Darlington were on top for large periods, but Cooper’s side missed far too many chances with Curtis Main lacking a killer instinct.

In the first half he ghosted into a position directly in front of goal to meet Aaron Brown’s delivery, but somehow headed off target.

Early on Main had tested keeper Seb Brown with a low blast from an angle, but it was not until just before the break that Russell had a chance to warm up with two excellent saves. First he tipped over a Christian Jolley drive then palmed away Sammy Moore’s close-range volley.

Russell did well to stay alert, despite being unoccupied for large spells on another chilly day at the Arena.

The pitch passed two inspections with referee Andy Madley giving the go-ahead in the highly optimistic hope that it would improve as the game went on.

But Cooper admitted: “If it were not for the backlog of fixtures I don’t think the game would have been played.”

By the second half, and as the temperature plummeted, the clatter of studs on firm ground became increasingly evident, suggesting that the players would have been better off on ice skates.

“The conditions were probably some of the worst I’ve played in,” said Quinn. “I’ve played in games before when it’s been a bit frosty, but the second half, especially down the side of the pitch in front of the main stand, was really, really bad.

“You just had to try and concentrate and make sure you could do your job.”

It was his new team-mates’ failings in front of goal that cost Quakers.

Main volleyed wide after a Hatch flick-on and the teenager also missed another header from Paul Arnison’s pinpoint cross.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson turned and shot too close to the keeper, while Gary Smith saw an 18-yard effort pushed around the post.

But too often Darlington failed to trouble Wimbledon’s keeper with Aman Verma lashing wide at the end of a Darlington counter-attack in injury-time and in the dying seconds a Verma cross was an inch too high for Hatch.

“I was pleased with our performance, I felt we showed a real energy and drive again.

We just missed too many chances,” added Cooper.

“We needed to stick one of those chances in but we didn’t so we only got a point against the leaders even though I felt we deserved a little bit more.

“I’m tough on the players sometimes but when they’ve played well I’ll tell them, and today they put a really good shift in.”

Match facts

Booking: Hatch (85, dissent)

Referee: Andy Madley (Leeds) - Hardly assisted by an indecisive assistant, but made a succession of debatable decisions 5

Attendance: 2,046

Entertainment: ✰✰✰

DARLINGTON (4-3-1-2):

8 Russell: Claimed every cross he came for and produced a stunning save on the stroke of half-time;

7 Arnison: Delivered a series of useful crosses, including one that Main should have scored from

7 Miller: Kept things together at the back and worked well with new team-mate Quinn

8 QUINN: The type of combative centre-back Darlington have needed: imperious in the air and strong in the tackle

6 Brown: Lost his footing a couple of times on the icy pitch, but delivered a pinpoint cross for Main;

6 Chandler: Collected his fair share of cuts and bruises due to being tenacious as ever, despite the firm pitch

7 G Smith: Played his way out of some tight situations in another impressive showing

7 Verma: Showed a confidence to play some good football, despite the conditions;

7 Bridge-Wilkinson: Again demonstrated how vital he is to Quakers;

6 Hatch: Back up front but it was a shame he wasn’t on the end of Main’s headed chances

4 Main: Got into great positions but his lack of accuracy was the difference between winning and drawing

Subs:

Wright (for Main 72)

(not used): Moore Burn, J Gray, Taylor

AFC WIMBLEDON (4-3-3):

Brown 7; Hatton 6, STUART 7, Franks 6, Bush 4; Mulley 5, Moore 6, Gregory 5; Jackson 5 (Moore 46, 6), Kedwell 5, Jolley 5 (Nwokeji 46, 5).

Subs (not used): Turner (gk), Harris

MAN OF THE MATCH

ADAM Quinn – hugely impressive on his Darlington debut.