WARRINGTON Town fell to defeat on the opening day of the season, going down 2-0 to much-fancied promotion favourites Darlington.
Goals either side of half time helped the home side to a relatively comfortable victory in miserable wet and windy conditions at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park.
Town started positively and had the ball in the net within five minutes, only for Ben Wharton to be ruled offside having slid the ball past goalkeeper Mark Bell.
Darlington, who gained promotion as champions last year in their first season as a reformed club, slowly took control of the game, and winger Stephen Thompson was a constant threat on the left hand side, tormenting first Phil Davies, and then Michael Kennedy after the two full-backs switched sides midway through the first half.
It was just after the midway point of the first half that Darlington scored the opening goal, Jonny Davis curling in to the far corner after David Dowson laid him off on the edge of the box.
The goal came in the middle of a period of sustained pressure from the home side, and it took a double save from Craig Dootson to keep the score at 1-0, first saving from Thompson’s shot and then the subsequent headed rebound from Amar Purewal.
Thompson nearly doubled Darlington’s advantage at the start of the second half, forcing a fine save from Dootson, as they continued from where they left off before half time.
Darlington wewnt 2-0 up when substitute Andy Johnson ran straight in to the box, and powered home a header from Terry Galbraith’s free kick with his first touch to make it 2-0.
As the game approached the hour mark, Warrington continued to struggle to gain a foothold in the match.
The introduction of Chris Gahgan, on for Liam Dawson, injected some life in to the visitors, but not enough to drag them back in to the game.
The only real chance mustered of note was a low shot by captain David Mannix, which was comfortably saved by Bell in the Darlington goal, with both Wharton and Ciaran Kilheeney left frustrated with a lack of service up front.
As the heavens opened, leaving the travelling Warrington fans drenched in defeat, Darlington closed out the game to earn them three points in the first game of the new season.
Ben Wharton’s opening goal ruled out for off-side
Jack West takes on the Darlington midfield
Kilheeney beaten to the ball by the keeper
Warrington: Dootson, Davies, Kennedy, Dogan, McCarten, Robinson, Kilheeney, Mannix, Wharton, Dawson, West. Subs: Gahgan (for Dawson), Greenwood (for Dogan), Mooney, Newby, Millington (for West)
Darlington: Bell, Hunter, Weldon, Davis, Robinson, Scott, Moore, Galbraith, Dowson, Thompson, Purewal. Subs: Johnson, Turns, Robinson, Gott, Hedley.
Attendance: 1,176
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