Chester City 2 Darlington 1

DARLINGTON may not have been at their best in recent weeks so a game against the division's poorest side, on current form, appeared to be just what Quakers' needed. An easy three points to keep momentum going.

So going 2-0 down by half-time to a team that were without their best player in Kevin Ellison and had lost their eight previous home games came as something of a shock.

If defeat was the last thing Darlington expected, then losing striker Pawel Abbott to injury was the last thing Quakers needed.

Because what could prove even more damaging to promotion hopes than a surprise defeat is his hamstring injury, which means Darlington's most likely match-winner is unlikely to play again this season.

Last week against Grimsby Town he bailed his team-mates out by inspiring a victorious comeback from 2-0 down, but despite again being his side's brightest attacking threat he could not repeat the feat this weekend.

He went down in a heap midway through the second half, taking an age to limp back to the changing room and with him went Darlington's chances of another dramatic comeback.

"Pawel over stretched for the ball, pulled his hamstring and it looks a bad one," admitted manager Dave Penney. "We're looking at four to six weeks so that probably rules him out of the normal season.

"That's a major blow, not just losing, but losing Pawel too."

Following defeats at lowly Mansfield and Wrexham, this was a third such unexpected recent result.

Typical Darlington? Possibly, but what is certain is that only one win in four games means Quakers are losing momentum at a crucial stage.

Hereford United drew so Darlington are only two points off third and host their promotion rivals in what could be a pivotal weekend in three weeks'.

By then Penney will have to rectify a sudden knack of conceding goals, something they had done relatively little of until recent weeks.

Having built their success on keeping clean sheets, 22 so far, suddenly Darlington have conceded six goals in four games and Saturday's strikes owed much to poor defending.

After just six m i n u t e s Chester took the lead with Paul Rutherford ramming home from 14 yards after a half-hearted clearance from Jason Kennedy, whose place must be under threat following another inconspicuous 90 minutes.

Within seconds the busy Abbott carved open a one-on-one but his dinked effort was saved by onrushing keeper John Danby.

Abbott then created a chance for Kennedy in the penalty area but he was caught flat-footed and the opportunity was lost.

The remainder of the half saw little urgency from Quakers and on 36 minutes Richie Partridge made it 2-0 with a good strike, but Darlington had themselves to blame as the scorer was handed space after poor marking by Neil Austin.

The right-back allowed Partridge to cut inside and fire over keeper David Stockdale from an angle, meaning Darlington were 2-0 behind before the break for the second consecutive match.

"That's two games we've started poorly, gone 2-0 down and been chasing the game and that's not good enough," said Penney.

"That's four sloppy goals in two games and that's not like us.

"I know Hereford didn't win but I'm not concerned about them, I'm only concerned about us and we're not going to achieve automatic promotion if we're going to concede goals like we did.

"That's two weeks in a row that we have gone 2-0 behind and then started playing.

"But our strengths have been keeping it tight, making sure it's not an open game and then as the game goes on we would get stronger with our superior fitness levels."

That has been Plan A.

Be solid at the back, keep a clean sheet and rely on the forwards to grab a goal.

But, when opponents score first, there is no Plan B. The division's other top seven sides have all won more points from games when they have conceded first.

Last week's Abbott-led comeback is the only occasion Quakers have salvaged a win having fallen behind.

Darlington improved after the break with Penney bringing on Richie Foran with Rob Purdie switching to central midfield.

But too often the midfield was bypassed with Quakers relying heavily on long balls to Tommy Wright - Darlington's physical striker who has committed more fouls than anyone else in the division.

Before the weekend his total was 76, 18 more than the second highest, but a 62nd minute collision with Danby appeared innocuous however, after lengthy treatment the keeper was substituted due to concussion.

He took some persuading to leave the pitch, but seconds later there was no doubting that Abbott could no longer continue as he tentatively left the field.

Gregg Blundell replaced him and soon set Foran up to score from close-range, but assistant referee Alexandra Ihringova unexpectedly flagged for offside.

The players had almost completed their celebrations before the official surprisingly raised her flag.

Darlington threw men forward and Blundell had one cleared off the line but Quakers got their reward when Steve Foster drove home after a right-wing cross was only headed to the edge of the box with six minutes to go.

The visitors gave it their all but despite five minutes of injury time Alan White, and even keeper Stockdale piling forward, the equailiser would not come.

Darlington (4-4-2): Stockdale; Austin (Valentine 80mins), White, Foster, Parker; Joachim, Kennedy, Cummins (Foran 46), Purdie; Abbott (Blundell 68), Wright. Subs (not used): Liversedge, Miller Attendance: 1,759 Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire)

11:13pm Saturday 22nd March 2008

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