Story by Garry Mann - 18th March 2006
Carlisle maintain their lead at the top of the table with an away win as Quakers are beaten 5-0 at home
It's been billed as the biggest game since the opening of the TFM Arena. David Hodgson said this will be the making of Darlington in their quest for the play offs. Paul Simpson insisted his side have come to dent their opponent's promotion aspirations. A new chairman, as good as the biggest crowd since the stadium was christened two years ago (8,640) and a half an hour kick off delay. Not a bad build up to a game that is destined to be vital to Darlington's future prosperity, or at least this season.
As the big kick off approached a tension and sense of anticipation uncommon in these parts was palpable; Carlisle swarmed into the ground in their droves to create a scene reminiscent of the Where's Wally pictures. In addition, Matt Appleby - scheduled to replace the suspended Keltie in the midfield holding role - pulled up in the preperations and had to be replaced by Kendrick in a reversion to a 5-3-2 wing backs formation. With Johnson and Wainwright subsequently moving from the flanks to partner Dickman in a midfield trio. It remained to be seen what effect the natural wide men would have in more central holding positions.
Both sides looked good to start, comfortable on the ball and putting together some very watchable phases of possession. Sam Russell and his positional counterpart Kieran Westwood were equal to some dangerous high crosses with both sides putting their flare players to good enough use to suggest this game was likely to be littered with chances. After ten minutes League Two's prolific top marksman Karl Hawley latched onto a Bridges pass into the box but failed to get anything behind the shot. Two minutes later Valentine was the architect of a promising Darlington move; nut-megging his sides' 1996 nemesis Chris Billy, exchanging a one-two with Simon Johnson before spraying left to Kendrick but his testing cross evaded everyone.
Jemal Johnson capped off a sprightly opening with a wicked shot across Westwood narrowly missing the right post after his nimble footwork, sharp brain and even sharper feet turned Livesey to open up an opportunity. Veteran Spaniard Aranalde found a bit of space for a zipping low drive, calling Sam Russell into a hurried stop at his post after initially misjudging the effort. The match was mapping out into a very exciting and exhilarating contest with potential filled build up play, direct attacking and industrial use of the flanks culminating in an excellent footballing battle between two promotion aspirers.
On the half hour, a miscued Aranalde clearance set Ryan Valentine free but Mr. Consistent was undone by the sturdy frame of Kevin Gray. Carlisle themselves came close to scoring but for Robbie Stockdale's crucial headed goalline clearance from Hawley. After fizzling out a little, the game was abruptly brought back to life with a simmering Simon Johnson bullet after excellent play by Wainwright out wide.
Suffice to say it was little surprise that Carlisle then went up the other end to score moments before the break. After the ball was hooked back, with a hint of catching Stockdale's face, Kevin Gray was charging in to head past Russell. Absolutely gutting for the home side that, although not dominating, deserved to go in at least level after producing without question the best footballing performance they have done in some time matching the Cumbrians in every department.
Martis and Clarke defended admirably quashing the majority of Carlisle's attacks with no no-nonsense clearing. Jemal Johnson caused all sorts of problems, complimenting Cooke's generally good holding up whilst Wainwright, Simon Johnson, Kendrick and Valentine also excelling in doing the spade work before the last third. 1-0 down maybe, 1-0 and out - definitely not. The restart, very much characteristic of the first half, began well for the hosts creating one or two decent openings.
Wainwright was alert to pounce on the most minor of defensive errors but his curling right footer did little to trouble the ball boy, let alone Westwood, landing somewhere of the suffix of the writing on the seats behind the goal. Cooke and Kendrick linked up expertly to win a free kick; Martis' delivery fumbled by Westwood who was soon gunned down by a sniper upon Andy Cooke's surely legitimate challenge for the loose ball. Ok the keeper may have been caught but the way he laid marooned on the ground and the reaction of his team-mates, which led to Cooke's booking, had no place in a game of, so far, such quality.
The Carlisle physio, obviously feeling left out partook to kick the ball away to go and treat the wounded. Unperturbed, the hosts continued to advance. A Matt Clarke run of old had adrenaline levels escalating and it took a Michael Bridges challenge to upend Clarke before he made to much headway. Then in five minutes of madness, Carlisle all but ended the match as a contest and who knows all but ended Darlington's playoff hopes. A disastrous back pass gave Derek Holmes an easy opportunity - one on one with Sam Russell - and he duly dispatched. Two minutes later, and he was bound to score, Michael Bridges unleashed a thunderbolt which gave Russell slim to no chance of saving to extend the gulf to three goals. Giving that Darlington have only scored three goals on five occasions this season, it was a fairly safe bet Carlisle had the spoils signed sealed and delivered.
A bitter pill to swallow for everyone associated with the home team; the management, the players, the chairman and, of course, the fans - who having watched their side take the game to the opposition cut a beleaguered, dejected and heartbroken shadow of their first half selves as tempers ignited and there was nothing left to do but accept it. Perhaps if Hodgson had Hawley, Bridges and Holmes at his disposal it could have been a different story. It's testament to the performance that unlike other games, when the fans get on the players' backs when its not going right, they continued to offer encouragement. And they were almost rewarded when Wainwright picked up a loose ball and letting fly towards the top right corner. Regrettably Westwood was also flying to pull of a superb tip around the post for a corner, the resolute gloves man unwilling to give away his clean sheet despite Darlo's best efforts.
If three wasn't bad enough, Hawley was adamant to rub salt into the wound to get on the score sheet firing ferociously across Russell but, only just, tickling the outside of the far post. Hawley never managed to rub the salt, he was subbed, Glenn Murray did it instead with a strike that can only be described as a soft goal. Russell seemed late onto the shot which trundled past him into the corner, epitomising the despondent persona the hosts played out the game with. To cap off a rampant last half an hour, another sub, Simon Grand headed high past Russell's outstretched hand to equal Carlisle's best away result of the season- they also beat Boston 5-0. A match hard, if not impossible, to sum up in words. At 3-0 Carlisle were certainly not three goals the better side, as a touch of bad luck in front of goal, a basic error and Carlisle's attacking quality combining to reduce Darlington to willowing wrecks. However, its hard to criticise too much, yes they magnanimously depleted and subsided in the final third of the game but on display was some of the best football the Quakers have treated their followers to for a while.
Carlisle are the first side to successfully call on their big guns to put the game to bed all season. Through out the year I've commented on how there is no side in the league Darlington cannot beat. I stand by that but you can't account for the demolition Carlisle suppressed on their opponents. It would be wrong to look upon this game at the end of the season as the reason we did not, if we don't, manage to creep into the playoffs - many players wholeheartedly contributed whatever they could offer today, unfortunately it was just too little. A drubbing on paper but anyone with a footballing brain will look on the good points in the performance that can be built on and not dwell on the undeserved magnitude of the defeat.
Darlington: Russell, Martis, Clarke, Wainwright, Simon Johnson, Dickman (McLeod 80), Valentine, Stockdale (Sodje 60), Jemal Johnson, Cooke, Kendrick. Subs: Norton, Peacock, Sodje, McLeod.
Carlisle: Westwood, Arnison, Livesey, Gray, Aranalde, Billy, Lumsdon, Murphy, Hawley (Grand 86), Holmes (Hackney 72), Bridges (Glenn Murray 74). Subs: Williams, McGill, Grand, Hackney, Glenn Murray.
Darlington bookings: Cooke, Kendrick, Simon Johnson.
Carlisle bookings: Hackney.
Goals: Gray 45th min (0-1), Holmes 60th min (0-2), Bridges 62nd min (0-3), Glenn Murray 88th min (0-4), Grand 90th min (0-5).
