DARLINGTON recorded their first home win of the season to go into the third qualifying round of the FA Cup.

It was a good, energetic all-round performance, and gave everyone a boost after the events of the last fortnight.

Darlington started the game with plenty of purpose, and nearly took the lead on four minutes, when a corner fell for Kaine Felix, whose powerful shot was blocked by Workington keeper Jim Atkinson.

Quakers put in plenty of effort in the opening stages, and were rewarded on 13 minutes when a right-wing cross from Jordan Windass was cleared as far as Tom Platt, and the summer signing beat Atkinson with a low right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net from the edge of the area.

Windass figured again when he played the ball into the box for Felix to have a shot from an acute angle saved by Atkinson.

But Workington hit back on 23 minutes, when the ball was played through the middle for Steven Rigg to pick up, round Darlington keeper Tommy Taylor and then neatly knock the ball home for the NPL Premier side.

The Cumbrians nearly sneaked through again, but this time Sukar just managed to dispossess Rigg.

Quakers nearly got back in front on 35 minutes. Cameron Salkeld crossed to the far post where Andrew Nelson had a shot cleared off the line by a defender, then Atkinson blocked his follow-up.

Platt nearly scored his personal second when a corner came out to him on the edge of the box, but this time he pulled his effort wide of the left-hand post.

After Nelson had an effort ruled out for a foul at the start of the second half, the home side nearly took the lead when Cameron Salkeld created space for himself to cross from the left, and Felix, coming unnoticed, headed just over the bar,

But the visitors nearly went in front on the hour when a mistake by Jake Lawlor let former Darlington player Niall Brookwell through, but his low shot was blocked at the far post.

Jacob Hazel was introduced as a sub on 62 minutes, and almost broke through when his left-foot volley from a Platt header was well saved by Atkinson.

The keeper then pulled off an excellent save two minutes later when Platt let fly from 30 yards out, and he pushed the ball away from the top corner.

Lawlor then had a header blocked from the right-wing corner, but then Quakers broke through from the opposite side, when Hatfield’s corner was nodded back for Lees to head home.

Lees nearly got another, but his header from Hatfield’s corner went just over the top, then sub Mitch Curry forced Atkinson into a fingertip save from his right-foot curler.

Curry then broke into the box on the left, but his pull back was too far ahead of Hazel.

Quakers made sure in the first minute of stoppage time, when Taylor’s long clearance found Curry, and he squared the ball for Hazel to stroke into an empty net.