Match Report: Spennymoor vs Darlington

Spennymoor 0-4 Darlington

Steve Watson praised his side’s result over rivals Spennymoor, but says the 4-0 win gets them nowhere near their end goal in the hunt for promotion to the National League

Dominant Darlo do the double over rivals Spennymoor with a convincing 4-0 win at the Brewery Field.

Darlo got the opener through Max Howell, the wing back made his way into the Spennymoor box from the right-hand side, his initial effort was blocked but bounced straight back to him before unleashing one into the roof of the net.

Rory Watson pulled out a wonder save to deny Spennymoor from equalising just before the break; everyone in the ground thought it was a goal, but Watson’s fingertip save around the post kept Darlo in the lead.

Darlo was awarded a penalty seven minutes into the second half after a handball from Spennymoor defender Tom Broadbent, leaving the referee no hesitation to point to the spot. Cedric Main dispatched the penalty into the bottom left corner to extend Darlington’s lead, giving the Moors a mountain to climb with over half an hour to go.

Main would get his brace and Darlington’s third on the hour mark with a brilliant header off the right post and in. A brilliant cross from Will McGowan was met in the air by Main, and his powerful header bounced off the near post to send the travelling Quakers into ecstasy.

Jack Maskell wrapped it up in the 83rd minute with a driven shot from the edge of the box that flew into the bottom left corner, a brilliant strike to complete a brilliant performance from Darlington.

Graeme Lee was visibly annoyed as the full-time whistle went, with the defeat coming off the back of two wins in their previous two. Spenny will have the chance to rectify the derby defeat with a home game against Chorley on Tuesday night.

Watson told the Sunday Sun, “Today reminded the lads of that they are a really good squad, not just the eleven that started and the lads that came on, they’re really good squads.

“They have to believe in themselves a little bit more, and we played with a lot more belief today, and that’s what were capable of doing. (talking about defeat at Hereford in midweek)

“I said in the dressing room, be really proud of yourselves how you performed, but that gets us nowhere near our end goal, but hopefully it has given them that belief needed.

“If I’m being ultra-picky, I feel we could’ve played more in the second half. I think we could’ve controlled the game a bit better.

“We’ll be disappointed with the points we’ve let slip away from home. This is a huge game, with a huge crowd. It was a different away game, it was the game we really wanted to stand up and put the little things we did wrong on Tuesday behind us, and I felt we did.”