Another deadly sting in tail

11:41pm Monday 20th October 2008

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Darlington 2, City 1

Darlington dished another dollop of late misery on Stuart McCall’s Bantams.

For the third game in four, City were stung by a goal in the dying minutes as their hopes of hitting top spot disappeared in the soaking north-east air.

All the excitement of City’s first live television appearance for three years was crammed into the final seven minutes.

Up to that point, a third 0-0 in four meetings between the sides was on the cards as defences ruled the day.

But Neil Austin lit the fireworks with an explosive free-kick, Omar Daley responded within a minute, before Darlington struck again as Graeme Lee appeared to get the decisive touch when he challenged Liechtenstein international Franz Burgmeier for a cross into the goalmouth.

So three points had been tossed away late on in a couple of tough days.

City started with only four of the side that won 3-1 at Darlington in March, a result regarded by McCall as one of the best last season. Two of those, Kyle Nix and Quakers old boy Barry Conlon, both came back in after the weekend.

Michael Boulding and Daley made way, McCall possibly feeling the Jamaican was not up to playing back-to-back games so soon after his long haul back from the World Cup qualifiers.

Boulding, feeling his ankle from Saturday, and Daley were named on the bench but Willy Topp was again a notable absentee, despite travelling with the squad.

City could not get hold of the ball for the first 15 minutes as Darlington dictated. Jason Kennedy took a couple of hopeful pot-shots from midfield but the closest effort came on the turn from on-loan Ipswich striker Billy Clarke, which was deflected behind.

The visitors were also grateful that skipper Steve Foster produced a typical defender’s finish high and wide after he found himself unmarked in the box.

But City were winning the foul count and their first foray into the Darlington danger zone was frustratingly cut short by a whistle against Dean Furman.

Austin reacted angrily when Paul McLaren slid in late on him by the touchline but referee Rob Shoebridge took no action against the midfielder.

Furman looked full of beans again and produced a peach of a pass to slip Joe Colbeck behind the Darlo back four. Colbeck fired the ball across goal but just beyond the reach of Conlon coming in at the far post.

Darlington immediately went close at the other end as Liam Hatch’s air kick fell into the path of former Champions’ League winger Burgmeier. Rhys Evans raced to block him but, having flicked the ball away, Burgmeier was unable to get the shot in.

The crowd figure was well down because of the temptation of watching it on TV and both ends taunted each other with a chorus of “You could have come in a taxi.”

It was not the most riveting entertainment whether you were watching in the stands or the armchair but at least the cavernous surroundings ensured the 464 away fans – less than half the amount who came up the A1 last time – stayed dry through a first-half deluge.

Evans nearly came unstuck on the slippy surface as Hatch raced to close him down in the corner of the penalty area. But the keeper made amends a moment later with a crucial save to bat away Clarke’s flick header from a Burgmeier free-kick.

Darlington’s front two were posing a few awkward questions and Peter Thorne popped up handily in front of his own goal to shepherd away a close-range stab by Hatch.

Thorne had certainly been given nothing to feed on at the other end as City failed to create a single shot in anger. TJ Moncur tried to get things going as he powered past Burgmeier’s half-hearted challenge to get into a good crossing position but then scuffed his kick.

Darlington keeper Simon Brown won’t have had a much easier 45 minutes, with only a corner and overhit cross from Colbeck to deal with.

But at least there was a much more solid air about the Bantams backline after the recent defensive shortcomings, which McCall had demanded in the wake of Saturday’s two-goal setback against Gillingham.

The City fans were calling for Daley’s introduction as the second half kicked off but they almost had a breakaway goal to celebrate.

McLaren threaded a ball through for Colbeck, who drifted inside to take on Ryan Valentine before drilling another dangerous ball across the goalmouth which again flew just too fast for Conlon to make contact. At least it was a sniff of a scoring chance, even if the shot column remained untroubled.

There was a bit more attacking adventure about City and Nix scampered promisingly into Darlo territory before running into a dead end.

Clarke, the division’s second-top marksmen behind Thorne, still looked the most likely poacher on the pitch. He wiggled his way to squirt an effort wide before City finally mustered a first shot of their own.

Colbeck’s effort after 53 minutes flew a couple of yards wide but it was a welcome lift for the supporters, who were creating a wall of noise behind Brown’s goal.

Moncur received the game’s first yellow card just before the hour and could have no complaints after going through ex-Basle midfielder Burgmeier.

City were looking strong in the air defensively, with Clarke and Lee more like their commanding selves after a few iffy performances.

Colbeck was getting more into the game and McCall decided to throw Daley into the mix on the left after 63 minutes.

Before he had touched the ball, Hatch controlled well on his chest and fired across goal, although Evans had it covered all the way.

Darlington sensed an opening when Rob Purdie’s cross into the box bounced over Conlon but Clarke stuck out a long leg to hook the ball clear as Hatch looked to pounce. Then McLaren nicked the ball away from the striker as he shaped to pull the trigger.

But Evans remained pretty untroubled as Ricky Ravenhill’s clip over the top raced away from Kennedy’s burst into the box.

Daley joined Moncur in the book and then put City in trouble as the ball glanced off his head into the penalty area. Lee’s clearing header went only as far as Purdie, whose finish was horrible – and he knew it, burying his face in his shirt.

Ravenhill was yellow-carded for bundling over Daley and McLaren’s free-kick was met by a downward header from Lee, forcing Brown to make his first meaningful save.

But with a goalless stalemate beckoning, the game suddenly burst into life with two goals inside a minute.

Clarke pulled down Hatch 30 yards out and right back Austin dipped the free-kick over the wall and into the roof of the net, with Evans only able to get a slight touch as the ball passed him.

But before Darlington’s cheers had subsided, City hit back straight from the kick off. Daley picked up possession on the flank, rode a couple of challenges as he drifted inside and his shot took a deflection on the way to the far bottom corner.

That should have been good enough for City and substitute Boulding almost pounced in a scramble – but once again there was a deadly sting in the tail.

Evans turned away Burgmeier’s drive but Darlington kept the ball alive and when Purdie whisked the cross back in, the winger and defender Lee made joint contact into the net from six yards.

Attendance: 3,034