City have a poor record in front of the Sky cameras on the rare occassions their games have been screened since they dropped out of the Premiership, so tonight’s result didn’t come as too much of a shock, bearing in mind their recent performances have not resembled those of a team challenging for the title in the slightest either.

Until the late introduction of Omar Daley, City looked devoid of ideas going forward and couldn’t get Joe Colbeck, their only hope of a breakthrough, into the game as much as Stuart McCall would have liked. All of City’s work in the opening 20 minutes was done at the back, as the Quakers looked to play through Liam Hatch and the City rearguard looked to stifle the threat of the lively Darlington forward.

The first real chance of the game for the hosts fell to Steve Foster but luckily for City the centre half skewed his shot wide from a fantastic position inside the area after a neat lay off from top scorer Billy Clarke.

When City did manage to launch an attack and Dean Furman played a delightful ball in behind the defence to send Colbeck racing in, a lunging Barry Conlon was unable to get onto the end of a cross from his team mate and the chance went begging.

However, it was Darlington that looked the more dangerous of the two sides and only poor finising from Leichtenstein international Franz Burgmeier prevented them from taking the lead. The set-piece expert ran the show for the hosts but after collecting a bobbling pass and sidestepping City ‘keeper Rhys Evans with a clever touch, could only roll a tame effort into the side netting, and City were let off the hook.

Burgmeier continued to torment City with his pinpoint deliveries though and a superb inswinging free-kick flicked on by Alan White prompted a fantastic flying save from Evans to keep the home side at bay.

Simon Brown in the Darlington goal had little to do in the first half and as the half drew to a close, Colbeck and Conlon repeated their move from earlier in the night but the inform City striker was evaded by the cross again and was unable to inflict damage upon his former employers.

In the second half City started slightly better although Darlington still looked the more likely winners. Neil Austin’s chipped pass found Hatch, who turned smartly before firing a decent volley just wide of Evans’ right-hand upright, although the execution of Rob Purdie’s shot later was far less impressive; the Darlo midfielder scuffing a terrible effort from down the right side of the area after the ball had somehow found its way into his path.

City were missing the pace of their talismanic winger Omar Daley - rested because of the recent flurry of games following international duty for Jamaica - and although he made his mark upon the game once off the bench with a superb run and low finish after cutting in from the left-hand touchline in the 85th minute, City had by that point fallen a goal behind when Austin caught Evans napping and looped in a 30 yard free kick for Penney’s side a minute earlier.

After their immediate response City would have probably have settled for a point. Nevertheless, Darlo found a deserved winner in the closing minute of the goal with yet more dubious defending from City. The goal was the result of catalogue of errors with Furman surrending possession cheaply in the middle and although Burgmeier's initial effort following a poor Luke O’Brien clearance was parried wide by Evans, Purdie picked up the loose ball and swung in to the near post where Burgmeier rose highest to net his side a late winner. It was a messy goal though, and the final touch may even have come off City skipper Graeme Lee.

City will view the Grimsby game on Friday as an ideal opportunity to turn their wretched run around but it gives McCall little time to find the answer as to why City have gone from winning five of their first six games to winning just one of the last six. Grimsby will be enjoying a honeymoon period under Mike Newell but City must now be looking for a maximum points haul from their next two fixtures to compensate for some poor performances of late.

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