A fourth goal in four games for sixtieth-minute substitute James Gale was as good as it got for Altrincham at National North club Darlington.

The Quakers took a twelfth-minute lead after Tom Crawford was dispossessed some 25 yards from goal and Will Hatfield scored with a firm shot past Hutchinson.

Altrincham failed to land a meaningful shot on target until the 43rd minute and even that opportunity owed nothing to Alty guile but came, rather, from an error by home keeper Jameson who played the ball out to Crawford. The midfielder's resulting shot was saved by a diving Jameson.

Things improved after the interval with four shots on target from Altrincham in the opening fifteen minutes, at which point the visitors made numerous substitutions.

It took James Gale just seven minutes to draw Altrincham level with a low drive after good work from Raymond (67 mins).

But parity barely lasted five minutes before Reddin was dispossessed on the right wing in his own half. The ball was worked to Main who hammered home a goal off the underside of the bar (72 mins).

The final nail in the coffin came in the 87th minute when Forbes headed home a right-wing corner to make the outcome 3-1 to the hosts.

SCORERS:

• 12 min: Will HATFIELD (Darlington 1 ALTRINCHAM 0)
• 67 min: James GALE (Darlington 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 72 min: Cedric MAIN (Darlington 2 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 87 min: Elliot FORBES (Darlington 3 ALTRINCHAM 1)

REFEREE: Mr Andrew Kitchen

ATTENDANCE: 495

TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were again without new signing Billy Sass-Davies, who is yet to appear this summer. Also missing was fellow central defender Jake Cooper and presumably their combined absence had something to do with the surprising inclusion of a trialist centre-back, named over the tannoy as Declan Drysdale.

Another notable absentee was Lucas Weaver.

Charlie Kirk also started, having initially appeared previously as a trialist but now playing openly under his own name.

The starting eleven gave no clear clues as to the starting eleven in the National League campaign next month as several likely first-choice players were only named on the bench today.

LINE-UPS:

DARLINGTON (Black and white hooped shorts and socks, black shorts): 1. Pete Jameson, 2. Ben Hedley, 5. Toby Lees, 3. Scott Barlow (c), 14. Josh Scott, 26. Kallum Griffiths, 8. Will Hatfield, 16. Will McGowan, 11. Tom ALlan, 9. Jack MAskell, 10. Cedric Main. Subs: 13. Liam McGrath, 6. Elliot Forbes, 15. Aiden Rutledge, 7. Matty Cornish, Matty Kirikiro, Will Maddison

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes and black trim, black shorts and white socks): 1. Luke Hutchinson, 2. Lewis Banks, 3. Sam Reed, 4. Lewis Baines (c), 5. Declan Drysdale (Trialist), 6. Elliot Osborne, 8. Tom Crawford, 10. Charlie Kirk, 16. Olly Crankshaw, 7. Keaton Ward, 11. Jimmy Knowles. Subs: 21. Louie Fallon, 23. Tylor Golden, 12. Isaac Marriott, 14. Remi Raymond, 15. Joel Bailey, 17. Kahrel Reddin, 18. Matty Kosylo, 9. James Gale

This was the fourth pre-season game for Altrincham and, for a friendly, was a surprising 250-mile round-trip fixture. Consequently, there were few Robins supporters in attendance.

REPORT:

The game kicked off on an excellent playing surface at Blackwell Meadows, a venue shared by Darlington with the local rugby club.

After a short delay for Altrincham to emerge from the dressing rooms, it was Kirk who kicked off for the visitors. Darlington started the better and when McGowan's cross was met by a team-mate, Alty wre grateful to see him mis-head the ball (2 mins).

With Gale on the bench it was Knowles and Ward who assumed the forward roles, with Kirk on the left and Crankshaw on the right.

Alty's first forward threat came from a Crankshaw cross which Ward was unable to convert at the back post (6 mins)

Following Reed's mis-pass to Maskell, the Darlington no.9 hit a wild shot over the bar from 25 yards (11 mins).

Another Alty mistake soon followed as Crawford lost possession in a central position some twenty yards or so from his goal. Hatfield went on to hit a strong shot past Hutchinson and give his side a 1-0 lead (12 mins).

It then took smart action from Banks to halt the lively Main, inside the Alty box (13 mins). Alty's faltering performance continued as a defensive mix-up allowed Maskell to head a cross at goal, which Hutchinson saved (14 mins).

The Quakers continued on top as Hutchinson was forced into another save, this time from Scott, after Hatfield and Main had been instrumental in a slick build-up (18 mins).

It was past the midway point of the half before Altrincham produced a cross from Banks from which Ward's presence contributed to the visitors earning a corner on their left.

A stoppage then ensued as Darlo captain Barrow needed treatment (28 mins). Alty then began to get forward with a little more regularity but without troubling keeper Jameson.

Indeed, it was his counterpart, Hutchinson, who was next in action making a good save from Hedley's 25 yarder (38 mins).

Next, after Baines had uncharacteristically lost the ball, Main's shot won the first of two successive corners for the hosts (41 mins).

When Jameson sent a poor clearance to Crawford, 25 yards out, the Alty man got in a shot which forced Jameson into his first serious action of the game, as he dived to his left to save (43 mins).

And so ended a disappointing first half for Altrincham.

Neither side made a change at the interval, with Darlington kicking off the half in sunshine.

After a reasonable start to the second half Alty were soon much improved. Kirk, Ward and Banks combined well for the last-named to force a rare save from Jameson (52 mins).

Three minutes later Kirk's chip from 18 yards had to be tipped over the bar for a corner before a Reed shot, over the bar, maintained Alty's momentum.

Next, Osborne, Crankshaw and Ward combined for Crankshaw to force a parried save from the suddenly much busier Jameson (59 mins). Rutledge and Forbes now replaced Griffith and Allan for the hosts.

Altrincham made seven changes on the hour mark as Golden, Bailey, Marriott, Kosylo, Raymond, Reddin and Gale all came on, with Banks, Baines, Crawford, Osborne, Ward, Crankshaw and Knowles withdrawn. So just Hutchinson and Reed, with the two trialists, remained on the pitch from kick-off. Golden now assumed the captaincy.

Alty should have equalised a couple of minutes later when Marriott's excellent cross from the left was met by the incoming Reddin but he headed strongly over the bar.

Darlington then avoided a penalty against them as Gale was clearly manhandled in the box without sanction .

Reddin had a shot saved (64 mins) as Alty looked to be in the ascendancy at this stage and they got their reward when Raymond fed Gale up the middle. The striker held off a challenge to drive the ball home for the equaliser and his fourth goal in four outings (67 mins).

Cornish now replaced Maskell (70 mins) and it was Darlington, against the immediate run of play, who retook the lead in the 72nd minute. Reddin was dispossessed on the right wing inside his own half and Main advanced into the left of the box before hammering a shot into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

Now Louie Fallon came on to replace Hutchinson in goal (73 mins). The young keeper was to be tested ten minutes later as an excellent chip from distance by McGowan forced him to back pedal to get to the ball (83 mins).

As time ticked by, each side won a corner, before Cornish earned a further corner for Darlington. Taken from the right, Forbes headed the flag-kick home for a third goal for Darlington (87 mins).

Whilst fielding an eleven which comprised new signings and trialists alongside established players was never likely to be a receipe for impressive Altrincham teamwork, with just two more friendlies to come supporters have yet to see a likely starting eleven on the pitch at the same time.

That may change as Alty face Port Vale next Tuesday.