THERE were five goals and two red cards during a dramatic Darlington win at Heritage Park as Quakers climbed to third with a 4-1 win over lowly Stalybridge Celtic.

The visitors came into the contest having lost nine of their previous ten league games, Darlington were in control for the most part.

Their only wobble came shortly after the restart when Leon Scott was red-carded, but soon Stalybridge were down to ten and that killed off their chances of a comeback.

By that stage they were 3-1 down, Quakers taking command early on with Liam Hardy turning the ball home after a pass by man of the match Stephen Thompson.

Slack defending, however, allowed in Andy Owens to equalise after a Sam Madeley pass.

It was a goal from nowhere, Darlington’s defensive concerns highlighted by Stalybridge’s leveller as there did not look to be any danger when Madeley picked up possession.

Quakers were without their three first-choice centre-backs, Chris Hunter and Kevin Burgess through injury and Gary Brown was banned following his red card seven days ago at Lancaster City.

Brown’s absence meant a recall for Adam Nowakowski, while Josh Gillies returned from injury and he was his usual livewire self.

After a perfectly-weighted Thompson pass, Hardy played ball across goal which rolled just behind Gillies, and then the play-maker had a long-range effort saved by Tony McMillan Quakers had endured a flat spell after conceding, but stepped up a gear in the final stages of the half to take a 3-1 lead, Hardy’s second coming on 37 minutes, sweeping home after good work by Gillies.

Thompson was in top form and he teed up Gillies to make it 3-1 just before half-time, pulling the ball back after McMillan had parried his initial shot.

Scott, a half-time substitute, lasted only ten minutes before he was dismissed for serious foul play, a challenge on Callum Bagshaw, the Stalybridge substitute whose challenge on Tom Portas had resulted in the Darlington man limping off.

Bagshaw had been on the pitch mere seconds when he maimed Portas, who left the ground with a swollen ankle, and probably glad that Quakers have a two-week break before their next game.

But, as at Lancaster when Brown saw red, it was soon ten versus ten. Madeley saw red for a second booking, earned for a foul on Liam Marrs having previously been cautioned for handball.

And within moments Thompson put some gloss on the scoreline. His feint on the edge of the box sent a Stalybridge defender for a pie, and Quakers’ forward then executed a wonderful finish by curling the ball into the top corner.

With Stalybridge wilting, there could have been more goals in it for Darlington and Hardy should have had a hat-trick.

The curly-haired frontman rounded the keeper, but his finish was weak and it was cleared off the line.

Mark Beck Beck outjumped the keeper to win an aerial ball after a Galbraith cross, but could not force ball home, and the striker then beat the keeper with a shot but the ball rolled just wide after a nice pass into the forward’s path by substitute Nathan Cartman.

Due to being knocked out of the FA Cup, Quakers are not in action next Saturday, their next match being at Brackley in a fortnight.

Goals: Hardy (4, 1-0); Owens (17, 1-1), Hardy (37, 2-1), Gillies (44, 3-1), Thompson (64, 4-1)

Bookings: Gorton (43, foul), Bagshaw (45, foul), Madeley (57, handball), McMillan (64, dissent), Wilkins (69, foul)

Sendings-off: Scott (55, serious foul play), Madeley (63, second bookable offence) Referee: Kelvin Sarsfield (Burnley)

Attendance: 1,231

Darlington (4-4-2): Woolston; Marrs, Nowakowski, Galbraith, Watson; Thompson, Portas (Scott 46), Falkingham, Gillies (Mitchell 58); Beck, Hardy (Cartman 74). Subs (not used): Jameson (gk), Purewal

Stalybridge Celtic (3-5-2): McMillan; Gordon (Bagshaw 45), Hughes, Ryan (Wilkins 46), Mather; Kelly, Platt, Chalmers, Gorton, Mather; Madeley, Owens. Subs (not used): Wisdom, Pilkington, Tames