Darlington 2 Peterborough Sports 2

Goals: Gyasi 12 mins, 0-1, Barrow 59 mins 1-1, Felix 60 mins, 1-2, Lees 90 mins 2-2

A late goal by second half sub Toby Lees rescued a point for Quakers against  Peterborough Sports at Blackwell Meadows.

Quakers struggled against Sports' pace in the first half and trailed to a goal by Michael Gyasi, but when Scott Barrow equalised with a superb effort, Quakers looked set to move on.

But within two minutes, former Darlington player Kaine Felix regained the lead for Sports, who looked as if they would hold on until Lees headed in Scott Barrow's free kick.

Here are the goals:

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/goals-from-tuesday-nights-game-1

and Steve's thoughts on the game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGN8R4PC29U

Peterborough got a corner in the first minute on the left, but when the ball went into the middle, Pete Jameson was fouled and Quakers won a free kick.

Quakers soaked up some pressure, but nearly took the lead on 9 minutes when Ali Alshabeeb found Will McGowan in the centre circle, and he threaded the ball through for Cedric Main to round the keeper, but a defender cleared off the line for a corner.

Quakers nearly scored from it, the ball was floated in for Jack Maskell who couldn’t get quite a shot in, but it came out for McGowan, who struck a low, measured shot towards the bottom corner, but the ball came back off the post and was cleared to safety.

But the visitors took the lead on 13 minutes when Quakers lost the ball inside their own half and the ball was played into the box for Michael Gyasi, who hit a right foot shot that Jameson got his hand to but couldn’t keep out.

Jameson then had to push a long range shot from Will Van Lear behind for a corner, which came to nothing.

Sports forced three more corners, and Kallum Griffiths had to clear one off the line. Kaine Felix also went close for the visitors with an acrobatic volley that went wide of the left hand post.

Felix got away again on 22 minutes, but Jameson blocked his shot.

Quakers overcame that tricky spell, and nearly levelled with a header by Jack Maskell from a Leesley free kick that Peter Crook held under his crossbar.

But Sports created another chance when Gyasi charged into the box and the ball ran loose for Dan Jarvis to fire into the side netting.

Half time 0-1

Not surprisingly, Quakers made two subs at half time, Leesley and Alshabeeb coming off, with Cameron Salkeld and Toby Lees coming on.

Sports missed a great chance 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.

But Quakers bounced back, and Griffiths and McGowan combined to give Barrow the opportunity to hit a left foot shot straight at Crook.

They had another opportunity when Main sent Maskell running into the box, but he pulled his left foot shot wide.

But Quakers levelled with a superb goal on 59 minutes. Scott Barrow made a run forward from the back, played a 1-2 with McGowan, and then coolly fired into the top corner to put Quakers back into the game – his first goal for the club.

However, Sports went straight back in front when Gyasi got through, had an effort charged down by Jameson, but Felix was on hand to bundle the ball into the empty net.

Maskell almost equalised with a first time shot from 25 yards that went just wide, as the referee warned Sports about timewasting.

Quakers made their fourth sub on 70 minutes, Jarrett Rivers coming on for Griffiths. Caden Kelly, who had come on for Will Hatfield on 63 minutes, put a left foot shot over the bar from a Main pass.

McGowan cut in from the right and tried a speculative effort that Crook just managed to palm away.

But Quakers levelled in stoppage time and salvaged a point when Barrow curled a free kick perfectly into the box from the right for Lees to head firmly past Crook.

Final score: Darlington 2 Peterborough Sports 2

Team: Jameson, Griffiths (sub Rivers 70), Forbes, Barrow, Leesley (sub Lees 46), Flint, Hatfield (sub Kelly 63), McGowan, Alshabeeb (sub Salkeld 46), Main, Maskell

Subs: Payne

Peterborough:

Crook, Putman, Fryatt, Lomax, McCann, Van Lier, Alban-Jones, Jarvis, Bland, Felix, Gyasi

Subs: Gash, Elsom, Booth, Winters, Steele