A LAST GASP GOAL by substitute Toby Lees recued a point for Darlington against Peterborough Sports last night.
Quakers struggled against the visitors’ pace and trailed to a first half goal.
They got back into the game courtesy of a peach from skipper Scott Barrow only to concede a second just two minutes later.
But Lees, who had come on as a second half sub, headed the equaliser in stoppage time.
After Peterborough enjoyed some early pressure and stretched Quakers’ defence at times, the home side nearly took the lead on nine minutes when Will McGowan threaded the ball through the Sports defence for Cedric Main to latch on to. Hee rounded the keeper but his effort was cleared off the line by a covering defender.
From the corner that followed, the ball came out to Will McGowan who fired towards the bottom corner from the edge of the box, but the ball hit the post and rebounded into the keeper’s hands.
However, the visitors’ early threat was rewarded when Joe Leesley lost possession inside his own half, and the ball was played into the box by Kaine Felix for Michael Gyasi to strike a right foot shot that Jameson couldn’t quite keep out.
Quakers were fortunate not to go further behind after that. Kallum Griffiths cleared one effort off the line then Felix volleyed wide. The former Darlington player also raced unchallenged into the box, but Jameson blocked his shot.
Quakers had a half chance with a header by Maskell that Sports keeper Crook held under his own crossbar, but Gyasi’s strength and pace caused problems again when he got into the Darlington box and the ball ran loose for Dan Jarvis to fire into the side netting.
Sports missed a great chance to go further ahead at the start of the second half when Felix sent Jonathan Bland down the right, and he pulled the ball back to the penalty spot where Jarvis put the ball over the top.
Quakers responded with a left foot shot from 25 yards by Barrow straight at Crook, then Jack Maskell raced through but pulled his effort wide of the post
Quakers levelled on 59 minutes. Barrow surged forward from the back, played a one-two with McGowan inside the area, and then coolly fired into the top corner to put Quakers back into the game – his first for the club.
But Quakers leaked a second almost immediately, when Gyasi got away again down the right and forced Jameson to block his shot, but former Darlington player Felix was on hand to bundle the ball in.
Maskell almost equalised with a first time shot from 25 yards that went just wide, as the referee warned Sports about timewasting.
Quakers made two subs, Jarrett Rivers and Caden Kelly for Will Hatfield and Kallum Griffiths.
They kept persevering, and were rewarded in stoppage time when Barrow picked out Lees with a perfect free kick from the right, and his fellow defender headed firmly past Crook.
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