Full-time: Bamber Bridge 1 Darlington 2

WHILE all wins are worth three points, the value of Darlington’s victory on Saturday felt greater than most others this season.

Beating Bamber Bridge 2-1 away could prove to be a pivotal moment, coming on a day when strength of character proved as crucial as any of the team’s attributes.

During the second half Darlington had to dig in to defend their lead when a draw would have been considered satisfactory in the circumstances.

Terry Galbraith, ordinarily a midfielder or left-back, had to play centre-back as manager Martin Gray was without the suspended Gary Brown and Chris Hunter, both first-choice players and Darlington’s centre-back pairing last time out.

But due to postponements that last game was three weeks ago. And fears they would be struggle against a promotion rival who’d won their previous five league fixtures proved to have foundation as Darlington were poor early on, leading to Alistair Waddecar scoring the best goal Quakers have conceded this term.

He found space between Galbraith and Alan White by expertly controlling the ball on the corner of the penalty area before whipping the ball over Peter Jameson.

With only four minutes gone, it did not bode well.

Yet, Quakers showed the resolve and character required to overcome adversity, something that will keep the promotion chasers them in good stead.

“It was always going to be a tough place to come to with our strongest XI, but we had players out suspended,” said Gray, who was also without Liam Hatch due to suspension.

“I felt the attitude of our players having missed the previous two games was great. To miss three weeks and come and then win against a very good team was a massive ask.

“We looked rusty in the first 20 minutes, which was understandable, but we came through it and that was down to the players’ attitude.”

Bamber Bridge recently put six past Spennymoor Town and had lost only once at home.

Gray added: “That was our toughest test of the season, as I said it would be. They had won five in a row and taken points off some very strong teams, they beat Spennymoor comfortably.

“The boy in midfield, Paul McKenna, he’s one of the best in the league by far. He was at Hull in the Championship a couple of years ago, it was important that we stopped him playing.

“I think him going off was a big factor because once he went off they didn’t look as strong.”

McKenna went off injured midway through the first half, though by that stage Quakers had recovered from their sloppy start with Graeme Armstrong equalising.

After good work by Amar Purewal and Stephen Thompson, who posed a real threat in the first half, the latter was chopped down and would surely have been awarded a penalty, but the ball broke to Armstrong to tap home.

His 12th goal of the season was soon almost followed by a 13th, the striker denied as his shot was cleared off the line by right-back Matt Mahoney.

But just before the break they were ahead with Purewal scoring a wonderful individual goal.

He collected an Armstrong pass inside the opposition half and ran at the defence, cut inside by putting a defender on his backside and then showed composure to execute a curling finish inside the post.

Gray lauded the goal, saying: “It was excellent, he showed what he can do. He picked the ball up on the touchline and showed great composure in the box. If it was on Match of the Day they would show it over and over again.

“It was about individual class and ability, to go from where he started with the ball to send up putting it inside the post.”

The second half was scrappy, predictably so on a churned up pitch, and battling Bamber Bridge had the better of it, Darlington having to soak up pressure and Jameson kept his focus to deal with a number of balls into the box.

But under increasing pressure Darlington’s defence held firm with White outstanding and Galbraith playing his part too, to clinch a big victory, extending their undefeated league run to 12 games.

Darlington almost added a third late on, Brig keeper Harry Campbell tipping a Purewal shot onto the post before almost five agonising minutes of injury time.

Quakers remain second, with two games in hand on leaders Northwich, and have two Heritage Park games to come: Radcliffe Borough this weekend and Scarborough on Boxing Day.

Gray added: “Teams around us in the table play each other next week. They’ll take points off each other, so we had to make sure we won so that we can have home advantage next week knowing not all of our rivals will be able to win.

“We’ve done really well to this stage, it’s about focus and concentration now. We’ve put ourselves into a great position.”

MATCH FACTS

Goals: Waddecar (4, 1-0); Armstrong (16, 1-1), Purewal (41, 1-2)

Bookings: Kay (30, foul); Scott (45, foul); Portas (75, foul); Mahoney (89, foul)

Referee: Mark Astley 6

Attendance: 373

Bamber Bridge (4-4-2): Campbell 7; Mahoney 7, Bowyer 6 (Green 46, 7), Lawlor 7, Steel 6, Kay 6, Wiles 7, McKenna 6 (Pickup 25, 7), Vasey 6, Waddecar 7, Marlow 6 (Bell 73). Subs (not used): Doughty, Alexander

Darlington (4-4-2): Jameson 7; Nearney 6 (Robinson 46, 6), WHITE 8, Galbraith 7, Watson 7; A Mitchell 5, Scott 6, Portas 6, Thompson 8 (Cocks 78); Purewal 8, Armstrong 8 (Dowson 56). Subs (not used): Bell (gk), Mota

Man of the Match

Alan White – Kept occupied in the second half.