DARLINGTON were denied a deserved victory by a last-minute goal at home to Warrington.

Quakers were on top for most of the game, but they couldn’t score a second goal when it mattered and Warrington snatched a point right at the end to leave Quakers seven points adrift of safety in National League North.

Quakers, who transferred Jacob Hazel to Boston earlier in the day, started with some promise. Cameron Salkeld turned on the edge of the area and fired a left-foot shot just over, then Ben Hedley found Will Hatfield on the edge of the box and his effort was held by Danny Atherton in the Warrington goal.

Quakers put Warrington under pressure inside their final third, and when Adriano Moke won possession, Hatfield set up the overlapping Kallum Griffiths, whose right-foot shot was deflected just wide.

The visitors nearly scored on 13 minutes when Bohan Dixon picked the ball up on the left, strongly held off two challenges, and hit a right-foot shot against the crossbar.

But Quakers’ early enterprise was rewarded after 15 minutes when Griffiths again popped up on the right supporting his attack, and crossed perfectly for Jarrett Rivers to head past Atherton, his first goal of the season.

It was nearly 2-0 when Atherton was pressurised inside his own six-yard box and Salkeld dispossessed him, but from a tight angle rolled the ball against the outside of the post.

Quakers showed plenty of determination in defence, with Moke making a great block at full stretch when Bohan Dixon lined up a shot, then Jassem Sukar stopped Woods just on half-time.

Quakers had a half-hearted appeal for a penalty turned down at the start of the second half when Hatfield’s low cross was blocked by a defender, but the referee waved play on.

Hatfield then popped up on the other flank to control a diagonal pass from Toby Lees, and roll the ball into the six-yard box where Salkeld just failed to get a touch.

Rivers went even closer on the hour when Hatfield and Hedley opened the defence on the left for him to hit a right-foot shot that Atherton just managed to touch around the post.

Rivers then just failed to control the ball in the box with just Atherton to beat as Quakers continued to press forward for a second.

Warrington had a rare attack up the left-hand side, and when the cross came in, Taylor just managed to deflect the ball away from two attackers.

The visitors wasted a good chance on 77 minutes when a left-wing free-kick by Mitchell Duggan to the far post fell for Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, who fired over from a good position.

Salkeld made a good powerful run into the box from right and tried to play a one-two with Rivers, but he couldn’t control the return.

They had another chance when Buckley-Ricketts found space in the box, and his right-foot shot was finger tipped wide by Taylor, although the referee gave a goal kick

But Warrington levelled in the last minute when Taylor punched away an in-swinging corner and the ball was volleyed in by Woods past the despairing keeper.