Fourth Qualifying Round 29 October 2011

DARLINGTON V HINCKLEY UNITED

This tricky draw for Darlington has been made more interesting with the departure of manager Mark Cooper, which necessitates Craig Liddle standing in for the third time in as many years. How will this impact on the players who have been below par all season? How will it affect the crowd – season ticket holders will have to pay for this one so what is their appetite for the FA Cup?

It’s cool but bright in the Arena as the teams warm up. The ground still boasts its 22,500 seats, now looking a bit faded, but by the weather not the fans’ backsides. Still as befits the final qualifying round it’s the biggest ground visited on the cup run yet, and at £10 the most expensive to get in.

Hinckley are attired in motorway maintenance orange, but it is Darlington, in white, who kick off and immediately, nervously, give the ball away. Hinckley accept it gratefully and pass it around calmly. This pattern continues for the early minutes until a long diagonal ball finds Darlo striker Bowman the edge of the box. He cleverly heads the ball over his marker and runs round him to collect and shoot low into the corner of the net. This should settle the nerves and certainly the home crowd sit back and relax. Unfortunately for them their team do the same and just five minutes later the defence are exposed and back off an onrushing Sam Belcher. He accepts the invitation to move forward and shoot by powering the ball past the Darlo keeper to equalise.

One all after ten minutes, so a goal feast could be on the cards. Twice more in the next ten minutes the Darlington midfield find themselves the wrong side of the ball as Hinckley counter attack with pace, but neither occasion leads to more than a corner kick. Gradually Darlo get a grip and become less susceptible to the break, but their attacking threat is limited to a long range Kris Taylor effort that sails over the bar. It is almost half time before Darlo produce a move of quality when Arnison and Chandler combine well down the right and produce an effort on goal that forces some agility and good handling from Haystead in the Hinckley goal. In the remaining minutes of the first half two more half chances come and go. A free kick sees Darlo win two successive headers in the Hinckley box, requiring the keeper to tip over, and then from the corner a skewed shot leads to a scramble before the danger can be cleared.

The half time verdict is that Darlo are ahead on points but they need to move the ball quicker and create real chances rather than just pressure. Can Hinckley keep up the work rate, and continue to close down the man with the ball, for the whole game?

The second half starts a bit like the first with Darlington getting the first attempt on goal when after 5 minutes Campbell & Hatch play a neat one-two that gives the Darlo wingman a shooting opportunity that is saved well by Haystead. Hinckley reply with a break down the right that produces a good cross and a header wide. Again the half settles into a pattern of unthreatening Darlington possession and occasional breaks upfield from Hinckley. The goal feast is no longer on the cards and the next goal should win it.

The afternoon brightness has dimmed with the game and the floodlights are on for the first time this season. Coincidentally the game brightens too as the tie enters the final quarter. A rare Hinckley attack through the middle produces a fine Russel save and from the rebound Darlo break and force another save from Haystead. The game is now loosening up as Hinckley sense they can win it, but this gives room for Chandler in the Darlington midfield to find space and create openings. With 15 minutes left Taylor strides forward out of the Darlo defence and beats a few men before releasing Campbell on the left wing. He drops his left shoulder then skips inside and fires a rising drive narrowly over the bar.

Darlington continue to increase the pressure, and get the ball in the net, only to discover the offside flag had been raised, way back in the build up, unseen by the referee. This is a shame because by now they deserve to be ahead, but there is little time left to make this a reality. Two minutes from time a legitimate chance arises when Arnison floats a diagonal pass over the defence to find Hatch in space. He does not quite control it, but improvises a dipping lob over the advancing keeper agonisingly wide of the far post. Even this is not the last chance. With only one man up front now the Hinckley clearances are coming straight back. Two minutes into added time the Darlo centre half Lee puts a clear header from a corner over the bar and as a last gasp a rasping Darlo shot thuds safely into the midriff of the Hinckley keeper.

It is mission accomplished for Hinckley, and their 83 very vocal supporters. The home crowd, about 600 below normal, are disappointed but probably more with the 1-1 result than the performance. Both teams will go into the first round draw, but only the winners of Tuesday night’s replay will get the chance to play whoever comes out of the hat.