Darlington 2 Clitheroe 1
Darlington’s youth team are through to the first round proper of the FA Youth Cup after coming from behind to pull off a magnificent victory against Clitheroe.
The youngsters froze in the first half and could have been more than 1-0 down at half time, but they were a completely different team in the second half.
The EvoStik League side took the lead after 10 minutes, when Charlie Dewhurst beat Darlington keeper Carl Robinson with a header from a near post corner.
The visitors took the upper hand, and Adam Bolton hit a right foot shot just wide of the left hand post. Josh Tetley showed how dangerous he could be when he found space again and struck a low 25 yarder that Robinson held on to.
Robinson then pulled off an excellent save, when he blocked a close range volley by Juddson Hickey, who seemed a certain scorer from a right wing cross.
Quakers nearly levelled from their first real chance after 35 minutes when Dale Milburn turned on the edge of the box and tried to find the bottom right hand corner, but Clitheroe keeper Callum Nixon pushed the ball around the post. But the keeper wasn’t as good a minute later when he dropped a looping header by Matthew Ridley, and Milburn couldn’t force the ball in.
Quakers were much better at the start of the second half and tested their opponents much more. They nearly equalised when Jordan Hume floated a free kick from the right into the box for Ridley to force a diving save out of Nixon with a header. From the corner, Quakers had a better chance when Ridley headed the ball down for Danny Raw to fire over from just six yards. And Ridley was involved again with a nifty backheel in a goalmouth scramble that was cleared off the line.
Quakers deservedly levelled on 66 minutes when Smith crossed to the far post where Milburn had time and space to guide his header past the keeper.
Smith then had an effort cleared off the line after he rounded the keeper, and Milburn curled a right foot effort just over from 30 yards.
And Quakers took the lead with seven minutes left when Milburn cleverly sent sub Callum Davison racing into the box, and he coolly slotted the ball across the keeper into the corner.
Robinson kept the lead intact with an excellent save from Cave, and guarantee a possible first round tie against one of the big boys.
Darlington
Robinson, Kilpatrick, Moncur, Cocks, Ridley, Harker, Donoghue, Hume, Raw, Milburn, Smith (sub Davison 72)
Subs: Parnaby, Wigley, Marshall, Wright