Darlington

Another excellent team performance. We conceded a poor goal after just 4 mins,but after that we were the better team throughout the game. It was only a failure to score a second goal that stopped us getting all 3 points. I cannot remember Lewis having to make a save. To come to top of the league, play well and get a point and be a little disappointed shows how much we have improved since the start of the season. A number of their supporters said we are the best team they have played. Good game played by two teams who respected each other, no bad fouls and well refereed by the lady ref.

Man of the match voting was as follows:

JUNIOR SMIKLE 12 votes

Tom tonks 2

Stuart Pierpoint
Leon Broadhurst All. 1
Kieran Green
Dan Scarr

Wine was won by Stuart Hill

Thanks to all who took part

Man of the match voting was as follows:

JUNIOR SMIKLE 12 votes

Tom tonks 2

Stuart Pierpoint
Leon Broadhurst All. 1
Kieran Green
Dan Scarr

One vote still to come

Wine was won by Stuart Hill

Thanks to all who took part

Jack reckoned the ref was hopeless Brian

Fair enough,it's true she did put glasses on after the game

Fair enough, it's true she did put glasses on after the game

Double posting Brian :-)

Maybe you should borrow them from her!!

I cannot remember any big errors and she kept the game flowing,others l spoke to thought she did ok

The coach ride is very bumpy, I keep pressing the wrong buttons

I love that answer Brian.

Have a safe journey.

I would certainly have taken a point at the start of the day but frustrated we didn't win, the performance was excellent but felt like 2 points lost in the end.

A poor goal to concede early on and the first 10 minutes where a bit flat, after that Darlington huffed and puffed and couldn't really get to grips with us, Solly didn't have to make a save at all, their chap made several good saves though, they weren't helped by the injury in the warm up. Hawley's finish was excellent, perhaps we needed him on the one on one's Richards and Lait had! Smikle again was the most impressive player and I think Lait is the most improved player, although still frustrating on occasions. Thought the referee had a pretty good game.

The ground reminded me of bits of Stamford/Carlton/Grantham, soulless new ground nowhere near the town (I know because I walked there and back!), although better with a big crowd in it, the view from the grass bank was good too - the one nobody was supposed to be standing on! but when in Rome. I thought it might be rather intimidating and there would be an ex league club mentality but everybody seemed friendly enough - at the ground at least.

There where some morons on the train who had been drinking all day, this was made worse when they tried to come it with 20 odd North Shields fans fresh from a 2-0 defeat at Shildon! The transport police where out in force when the train got to Darlington, and I heard the old chestnut "it's only football banter officer" as if it's okay to behave like that because it's in a football environment, in a word - no.

Nothing much to grumble about on the pitch at the moment, talking of Shildon it was this time last year (a week earlier) we where there and the improvement from then is immense.