DARLINGTON'S hopes of extending their unbeaten run to three matches were ended by the concession of a late winner against Brackley.

However, the Quakers only had themselves to blame for not coming away from St James' Park with at least a point after getting on top in the second half.

After drawing level with a Cedric Main penalty with half-an-hour left, the opportunity was there to push on and win the game, but Quakers didn’t take it.

Manager Steve Watson said: “We were well in the game at half-time even though we were a goal down, and I was really pleased with the way we responded in the second half. We looked the more likely to score.

“I thought we deserved to get back into the game at 1-1, and I would have liked us to carry the positivity on that had got us back in the game, but we were a little bit lacking in the second half of the second half.

“We were toe-to-toe against a very good side. Brackley didn’t have many chances, but they were clinical with them. It’s a really tough place to come to.”

The game was fairly low key at times in the first half, but Quakers created more chances.

Brackley striker Danny Newton had a left-foot shot deflected into the hands of Darlington keeper Pete Jameson, while at the other end Brackley keeper Jonny Maxted went full length to save a powerful shot by Will McGowan after Main had set him up.

Darlington skipper Scott Barrow headed over his own crossbar after Jameson missed an in-swinging corner, but Brackley took the lead on 28 minutes. Jack Maskell claimed he was fouled inside the Brackley half, but the refereee waved play on, and Brackley moved swiftly up the left for Kade Craig to whip the ball into the middle for Newton to control and side-foot past Jameson.

Quakers nearly levelled immediately when McGowan ran down the right and set up Main, whose right foot shot took a deflection and looped just over the bar.

McGowan had another effort blocked on the edge of the box, and just on half-time, Maskell crossed for Toby Lees to head just wide of the post.

Quakers increased the tempo in the second half. After Kallum Griffiths forced a fingertip save out of Maxted with a right-foot shot that was going into the top corner, Quakers levelled from the spot. Maskell was tripped just inside the area after Will Flint won possession, and Main sent the keeper the wrong way for his third goal of the season.

But they let Brackley off the hook and didn’t press home their advantage. They seemed content to sit back and see the game out. Morgan Roberts thought he should have had a penalty after he went down in the area after a good run, but with two minutes left a free-kick was nodded down for Zak Lilly to swivel on the edge of the area and find the bottom corner of the net with a right-foot shot.